Underfire
by TheOriginalTale
Summary: The monsters have emerged victorious from the war. However, many humans are not happy with the new world order. When Cole Nelson finds himself caught in the midst of the growing turmoil, his life as he knows it, will vanish. In it's place, is great uncertainty and a winding path, which could take him to a bright future, or to a bloody grave.
1. Occupation

_**AUTHORS NOTE**_

**Underfire is going to be an AU, in which it was the monsters that emerged victorious from the war. The story will be taking place in a modern-day setting, in the year 2027 AD. Below you will find a timeline of events that will give you some background into the history of the war. Please note that this is in a fictional world, with fictional nations.**

**2004 **

**April 20th: The Roneian Empire officially declare war on the monster kingdom.**

**April 23rd: The first attack against the monsters is launched, with success. A small village falls within hours.**

**May 1st: The war against the monsters reaches a stalemate, approximately 67 miles from the capital.**

**June 18th: Monsters launch a mass offensive against the humans, pushing them back.**

**July 3rd: Humans are driven out of monster territory in what would turn out to be a crushing blow.**

**July 5th: Human military leaders sign an armistice with Asgore. The armistice however, would turn out to be temporary.**

**December 25th: Humans attempt another attack on the monster kingdom. The monsters though, having figured out the human tactics, repel the attack.**

**December 31st: Monsters begin to slowly push into human territory.**

**2005**

**January 11th: Monsters successfully conquer the first human city, and immediately begin making two pronged attacks on several smaller human armies.**

**January 20th: As the monsters approach the capital of the Roneian Empire, Asgore calls for peace talks. King Berinon refuses to attend, and the war continues.**

**February 2nd: Other allies of the Roneian Empire, the Grudor Kingdom, and the empire of Chodora, declare war on the monsters, who have already been working at building their military force for such an occasion.**

**February 4th: The capital of the Roneian Empire falls, and the empire surrenders. King Berinon is captured, and imprisoned.**

**February 18th: Humans begin launching attacks against the monster kingdom. In some areas of the eastern front, the humans make progress, in others though on the western front, they are pushed back.**

**March 3rd: Movements from both sides grind to a halt, and the war falls into stalemate once more.**

**2008**

**April 3rd: Asriel is born**

**2010**

**August 1st: After over 5 years of no progress, and with peace talks becoming increasingly impossible, Asgore launches Operation: Breakthrough. Monsters launch a massive offensive on the eastern front, breaking through Grudorian lines. The blow is devastating as several supply and communication lines are severed. Thousands of soldiers surrender. It is a defeat the kingdom will never recover from.**

**August 13th: Monsters see more success on the western front against the Chodorans. Supplies have begun to run out, and several armies simply retreat from their posts.**

**EASTERN FRONT**

**September 12th: Monsters sweep through the Grudor Kingdom as the armies pull into full retreat.**

**October 2nd: Monsters approach the capital city of Agolens, and place it under siege.**

**October 31st: Agolens surrenders. Monsters march into the city. King Marshall Campbell is captured, and the Grudor Kingdom falls.**

**WESTERN FRONT**

**September 3rd: Monsters push past the outer borders of Chodora. The rough terrain makes it difficult for monsters to make progress.**

**September 21st: Monsters make it just over 100 miles into Chodoran territory. Chodoran armies dig into defensive trenches, forcing the monsters to a grinding halt.**

**November 3rd: News of the Grudor Kingdom's surrender reaches the western front, with a message that reinforcements will now be available within the week.**

**November 9th: Monsters reinforce themselves, and begin to press forward once more.**

**November 20th: The capital city of Kester becomes visible.**

**November 23rd: Monsters begin one last all out push against Kester, with King Benedict Harrington declaring that he will never surrender.**

**November 25th: King Harrington is killed in combat. Without their leader, confusion runs amongst the military, and Kester surrenders days later, and the empire of Chodora falls, ending the war.**

**December 1st: Mount Ebott is transformed into a prison. Dozens of political and military prisoners are transported to the new facility.**

**So with the history of the war laid out for you, I present chapter 1 of Underfire. Special thanks to Ulrich362 for assisting in figuring out an overarching plot to the story.**

The blaring of an alarm clock striking 7:00 AM roused Cole from his slumber. Groaning he rolled over and smacked the bedside table repeatedly until he found the clock, shutting the alarm off. He looked up to the ceiling, taking a deep breath before he slid out of bed. Not thirty minutes later, he had gotten ready for the day, and was walking out of his apartment block, onto the sidewalk of Kester. He sighed as he gazed up and down the street.

The sky was grey with clouds, and there weren't many people up and about. He began to trudge up the street, heading to work. He had been lucky enough to land a job at a new bar and grill that had opened up just a month prior. The place was called Grillby's, conveniently named after the owner, Grillby.

Cole was one of many humans still living in Kester. He had been born mere months after the fall of the empire of Chodora. During his early life growing up, he had often heard of his parents talking about the glory days of the empire, before the war. Now, those days were long passed. Monsters held a firm grip over the captured territories. By now, 17 years after the war had ended, most humans in the captured territories had grown used to the monster occupation. This however, didn't mean that everything was prosperous. Humans and monsters seldom associated with each other, and when they did it was usually for business, or political purposes.

Glancing up, Cole spotted two soldiers walking along the sidewalk. Many of the soldiers looked identical. All wore special armour, said to have been designed early in the war. It was also said that this armour was nearly impenetrable. Both soldiers carried automatic assault rifles, a standard weapon of the monster military. The firearms seemed to have a faint glow to them, betraying their magical properties. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his coat, sidestepping around the two soldiers, taking care not to make eye contact. He had gotten used to trying to keep a low profile. It was nearly 8:00 by the time Cole arrived at Grillby's. The fiery monster was just unlocking the door, looking up through his glasses as Cole approached.

"Ah, right on time." Cole only nodded, following Grillby inside. The little bell above the door jingled as they entered. He walked into the back room, where he removed his coat and hung it up on one of the hooks on the wall. Grillby had rolled up his sleeves as he walked into the kitchen. Cole had discovered it was customary for Grillby to do all of the cooking, while he simply was the waiter, taking orders. Sighing, he walked out front, and waited for the first customer of the day.

_**LATER THAT EVENING…**_

"See you tomorrow, boss!" Cole called to Grillby as he fetched his coat, heading outside. Grillby gave a short wave, the bell above the door giving another jingle as the door shut behind Cole. The sky was already darkening, and Cole hadn't taken four steps before a fat drop fell onto his head. As the sky began to break, Cole threw the hood over his head and stuffed his hands into his pockets, setting off at a brisk pace. Despite the coat, it didn't take long before he found himself soaked.

"_Of all the days to not have a car…"_ He thought to himself, the annoyance pricking at him. He turned down the street where his apartment block was on. He kept his eyes trained on the sidewalk, focusing only on returning home. He became so focused on the sidewalk that he failed to see another foot patrol ahead of him. He grunted as he accidentally walked into the backside of one of the soldiers, stumbling back. The soldier whipped around, revealing a dragon's face.

"Hey, watch it!"

"_Great."_ Cole thought furiously. "_Last thing I wanted was any attention."_ He then responded. "Sorry sir, I wasn't watching where I was going, just a mistake."

The dragon's companion, a wolf, spoke up. "Uh huh. You have any identification on you son?"

Cole fished his wallet out of his pocket, taking out his Chodoran identification card, handing it to the wolf. After looking it over carefully, he asked.

"Bit of an unpleasant day for a stroll, don't you think Cole?"

Cole shrugged. "I'm just on my way home from Grillby's. I work there. My apartment is just up the road."

The wolf nodded. "Any family?"

Cole was hesitant in his response. "No sir, I live alone."

The wolf looked up at him. "You're only seventeen...a bit young to be living alone don't you think?"

Cole refused to meet his gaze. "I don't have any family right now."

The wolf slowly nodded again, before handing the card back. "You're free to go. Just watch where you're going alright?"

Cole nodded. "Yes sir, thank you sir." With this, he quickly walked around them, hurrying the last few blocks before ducking into the apartment block. He pulled back the hood of his coat, stepping into the elevator. It carried him up to the fourth of nine floors, where he stepped off. Once inside, he locked his door, hanging the dripping coat up. He walked to one of the larger window sills, sitting on it and gazing out as the rainwater ran down the glass.

Even on nicer days, Kester constantly looked dreary. The armed patrols were constant, and had even been picking up in frequency. For why, Cole wasn't entirely sure. Something though about a large fight? It was all just rumors. He leaned his head back against the wall, and let his mind wander, wondering what things might have looked like if the war had gone differently.


	2. The Deadly Road

The rain continued to pour down all through the night, and into the waking hours of the morning. When Cole woke himself, he found a voicemail had been left from Grillby.

"Good morning Cole! Listen, I know you don't exactly have a faster way of transportation other than walkin', and I know it's not exactly a pleasant day. So, feel free to take the day off. I'll be fine here on my own." Cole promptly erased the message. At least he had the day off. Now the question was, what would he do on his now free day?

He tended not to go out much, and he really didn't feel like bumping into another foot patrol. Still, what else was he going to do? He threw on his coat, and began to leave. As he was walking outside, he saw a man carrying two boxes. He looked to be struggling with the heavy load.

"Hey buddy, need any help with that?" The man looked around the boxes at Cole as he spoke, seeming hesitant, then nodded with a grunt.

"Sure, just get the one off the top." Cole picked the second box off, and was surprised by the weight in it. Shrugging, he followed the man back upstairs to the third floor, to the apartment directly below his. Once there, the man nudged the door open with his foot, moving in. He set the box down, and over his back Cole thought he saw something black in the next room. Before he could see though, the man stood up, blocking his view as he took the second box, giving him a nod.

"Thanks." He was then quick to shut the door, and he heard the lock click shut. Cole frowned for a moment, then shrugged again and headed back outside. He figured he would take a stroll down through the nearby park near the city center. Soon, he found the concrete path that broke off from the main sidewalk, leading into the small wood surrounding the park. He made the quick turn, somewhat grateful for the trees which provided some cover from the rain, which was already beginning to ease off.

Soon, he approached the statue of what appeared to be a hunched over monster with horns. Surrounding the monster was a bed of golden flowers, and a plaque with dozens of names on it. The statue was a memorial built to all the monster soldiers that had died in the final push to capture Kester.

Cole shook his head with disdain. He had always hated the memorial. Still, he couldn't deny that the flowerbed didn't add some beauty to what he regarded as an ugly pimple in the middle of Kester.

As he let the thoughts stir in his mind, he recalled past conversations he had overheard between his parents. Conversations about times when humans were free. A time before the martial law. A time before the identity cards, and the curfew. Cole had never been able to see the world as his parents had described, but it sounded almost like a paradise compared to the bleak world he had grown up in.

As he began to walk back home, the rain pattered to a stop. The sound of a large motor soon became audible through the trees. Once he rejoined the sidewalk, he was greeted with a surprising spectacle.

A monster military convoy was making its way down the road. Making it up were two heavily armoured trucks, one of them with a mounted machine gun on the top of it, escorting a large semi truck. Along the road beside the slow moving group, other armed guards from the local force were walking along the sidewalk and the road. He spotted a small gap between one of the soldiers and the apartment block, so he began to head past the convoy, towards the building.

Something caught his eye. He glanced up, then did a double take as he saw something poke out. Before he could pick out what it was, a nearby explosion rocked the street, throwing him down to the pavement. He yelled in pain, but he could hardly hear his own voice. His ears were ringing and he clutched them as he lay, dazed. He could only hear his own breath as he looked around from his position.

He could see several of the soldiers shouting muffled orders to each other, then one of them suddenly give a violent jerk before collapsing, turning to dust a moment later. A muffled series of bangs rang out, as he looked to two more small piles of dust close by. A flash appeared for a split second, and he realized a soldier was shooting at something. Then a stray bullet struck the ground close to him, snapping him out of his daze.

Frantically, Cole scrambled for safety behind a parked car, looking around wildly as gunfire rang out in all directions. A quick glance around revealed several humans advancing from nearby alleyways. The monsters had already taken up defensive positions and were returning fire. Glancing behind the bumper revealed a burning pile of metal, the stench of gasoline heavy in the air.

Glancing back up at the window, he saw the barrel of a rifle retreat from the window as a bullet slammed into the wall beside it. A few moments later, he saw the same man from that morning rush out the door, firing into the monster defenses before diving behind the same car Cole was hiding behind. He looked to the man, and shouted, trying to make himself heard over the raging gunfight.

"What's going on?!"

The man didn't answer, simply pushing him lower to the pavement behind the car. "Just stay here and keep your head down!"

One of the monsters managed to get into the machine gun mounted on top of one of the trucks, and unleashed it on the human attackers, causing them to scramble for cover. The man hiding with Cole propped himself up on the hood of the car. Cole watched as he fired off four shots, and the soldier on top of the truck collapsed back down through the peephole.

The man was quick to duck back down, and Cole flinched as one of the monsters focused his fire on the car they crouched behind. The man took an annoyed huff, before popping back up though. This time though, the monster was faster, as he shot at the man. The man made almost no sound as the bullets met their mark, and he fell to the ground by Cole, a couple drops of blood landing on his cheek.

Cole breathed rapidly as he stared at the dead man laying beside him. He poked his head back over, and a bullet struck the window of the car, shattering the glass. He instinctively grabbed the assault rifle that sat by him.

He jumped up, and fired one shot off. The gun punched against his shoulder from its recoil, and he quickly sat down, now rubbing at his sore shoulder. Grunting angirly, he poked his head back over, and shot again. Despite him being more prepared for the recoil, only one of the bullets actually struck his intended target. Suddenly, there was a click and the gun stopped firing.

He quickly dove back down and closed his eyes, praying that the monsters would at least make his death quick. Suddenly though, he heard the two remaining vehicles give their engines a large rev, before a squealing of tires drew out his eyes again. The two machines had quickly rushed backwards, escaping down a side road, their engines slowly fading away. The firefight ended only moments later.

Cole dared to poke his head back out, seeing the remaining monsters had been turned to nothing more but piles of dust on the pavement. Smoke still wafted from the hot barrel of the rifle he clutched. He looked up and down the street. Along with the dust, he could see several bodies strewn around as well. Some had firearms with them, or at least close by. Others though, were further away, and it almost looked like they had been fleeing. Suddenly, he heard a sharp click behind him, and a gruff voice.

"Drop it." Cole saw one of the armed humans out of the corner of his eye, the barrel of his own rifle trained on his head. There was no way he would be able to fight his way out. Slowly, he set down the rifle by the dead man close to him. A second later, he felt a sharp hit to the back of his head, and the pain was quickly numbed by sleep.


	3. Down The Rabbit Hole

The pain pounded against Cole's skull as he slowly came to. He was being dragged along by his arms, and the rest of his body dragged on the ground. Everything was black, and he quickly realized he had some sort of sack over his head, blinding him. When he tried to move, he also found out quickly that his hands had been bound tight with rope.

They stopped abruptly, and he heard a series of knocks in what sounded to be a pattern. He heard what he thought to be a metal door swinging open, and he was ushered inside. A rush of cold air came over him, and he shivered. Then, a male voice, partially muffled.

"Is he awake?" He felt a sharp pinch in his arm and he grunted, biting his lip. A second voice spoke up.

"Looks that way." Suddenly he was shoved down into a chair. One firm hand pressed on his shoulder, holding him still while he heard the second set of feet move off a short ways, and begin to speak. He strained to hear, managing to just barely pick out the conversation. The voice he was talking to sounded like that of a female.

"Who's this? I sent you out to attack a convoy, not take prisoners!"

The first voice, a man's grunted. He recognized the voice that had spoken to him shortly before he had been knocked out cold. At the memory the back of his head felt like it was being lit on fire.

"His identity card says he's Cole Nelson. We found him next to one of our own, Jason. He didn't make it unfortunately. This kid though, was holding his gun. We think there's a possibility he may have killed Jason."

The female voice spoke again. "Well, answer me this. Who was he shooting at?"

The male voice hesitated. "Well, he was aiming at the monsters, but that doesn't excuse the fact that-"

The female voice sounded exasperated, and he heard it growing louder as she walked towards him.

"So you're telling me, that you think this civilian is a monster sympathizer, strangled Jason, and then started shooting at the monsters he sympathizes with?"

"Well, er -"

"You're just being irrational. If he wasn't shooting at you, then he's not our enemy. Now for God's sakes, remove the bag and untie him already!" A moment later the bag was lifted off of his head, and he squinted at the white light that shone from the light on the ceiling. Immediately after he felt the blunt end of a knife, as it cut through the ropes binding his wrists. He was handed his phone and wallet, and he put them back in his pockets. He rubbed his sore wrists, then looked up, where he saw the source of the female voice. It was that of a young woman who didn't look much older than himself, although she was evidently fatigued. She had bags under her eyes and had a tired smile on her face.

"Apologies for the rough treatment. My men were just considering the safety of their brothers, fog of war you understand."

Cole nodded, slowly standing up. "Yeah...er...war?" Chara nodded, reaching out her hand invitingly for a handshake.

"You bet, my name's Chara. Welcome to the Torin Republic!"

_**MEANWHILE…**_

Asgore walked through the halls of the palace towards the war room. Turning suddenly, he pushed open the door, walking inside. Already present in the room was Undyne, the captain of the Royal Guard, and his son Asriel, who waved as Asgore entered. He gave a brief nod to Asriel before turning to Undyne, approaching her.

"Well? What have you got for me?"

Undyne took a nearby remote, and pointed it at a television on the wall. A picture of a street littered with dust, bodies, and a pile of metal alive in an inferno appeared on the screen.

"Another attack your highness. A military convoy transporting arms. As they came along through this street, the insurgents set off a car bomb, and proceeded to engage our forces in close quarters combat. We managed to strike down four humans, but at the loss of nine of our own soldiers. There were six civilians that had the misfortune of getting caught in the crossfire. CCTV caught the whole thing."

Asgore nodded. "Show me." Undyne pressed a button on the remote, and the picture was replaced by an image of the same street, though at the time it looked completely normal. Asriel watched as the video played out, and his concerned expression gave way to a deep frown when he saw the explosion. The street quickly erupted into gunfire. The entirety of the fight lasted less than ten minutes. Asgore sighed, shaking his head.

"That's the fifth attack in the past three months. Admittedly the strikes have been more severe but the number of them is getting out of hand. We need to find a way to transport the supplies without having to check every nook and cranny for traps."

Undyne put forward a suggestion helpfully. "Maybe if we chose a route that avoided the larger cities?"

Asgore shook his head. "It would certainly work, but it would take much more time, time that sometimes we may not have. Besides, it would only provide a temporary solution. Soon, they'll just start attacking our convoys in the smaller towns."

He shook his head, clearly frustrated. "I think the only thing we can do is find a different route through the cities." Undyne rewound the footage and Asgore pointed to the buildings.

"Look at how close the buildings here are. It's a perfect place to try and bottleneck us. We'll need to find routes that are much more open." Undyne nodded in agreement, then replied.

"I recommend forming a special force to investigate these attacks. It's one thing to simply avoid them, but we also should work on trying to find the culprits and eliminate them."

Asgore nodded seriously. "Indeed." Suddenly, something got Asgore's eye.

"Hold on Captain, back the footage up a few minutes?" Undyne nodded and began to rewind the footage until just after the car exploded. He pointed to one spot of the screen near the edge.

"Can we get a closer look right there?" Undyne nodded, and the footage zoomed in one one human crouched behind a car. The footage was slightly more blurred, but the armed man beside him could be seen being gunned down. After a few moments, they saw the human grab the rifle, and moments after, begin to open fire on the monsters. Undyne shrugged.

"So? He's firing at our soldiers. There were over a dozen humans doing the exact same thing. What makes him so interesting?"

Asgore furrowed his brow as the footage continued to play out. "I don't think he was a part of the fighting force. He would have his own weapon if that were the case." His suspicions were confirmed as the gunfight came to a close. Almost immediately the human was cornered by a second human, who proceeded to hit the first one on the head with his rifle. Undyne now understood.

"Alright, I'll agree that is a strange thing to see. What do you make of it?"

Asgore looked down, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, I'm not sure...Asriel?"

Asriel looked over at his father questioningly. ""Yeah?"

Asgore then gave the order. "I want you to make the journey to Kester. Try to find out what you can about that human. Captain, I want you to find out what you can from here before he heads out."

Undyne nodded, immediately departing the war room. Once she was gone, Asgore turned to Asriel.

"Be careful while you're out there. Remember, Kester is on the watchlist for terrorist activity, and even more so after this. Be mindful, and if you think at any point you're not safe, you get out immediately."

Asriel gave a firm nod. "Of course Dad, I'll be careful."

Asgore smiled, giving his shoulder a hearty pat. "There's my son. Now, let's get you ready, hmm?"

_**LATER…**_

Cole walked with Chara through one of the underground hallways. She had agreed to give him some time to recover from the splitting pain in his head before briefing him further although she denied his requests for painkillers because of rationing policies. Now, Cole had questions.

"So, what exactly are you guys? Terrorists?"

Chara shrugged. "It depends on how you look at it I suppose. King Asgore has branded us as terrorists. I, however, don't see us that way. The way I see it, we're just like the other humans that want to be free of the monster occupation. We're just the ones that are choosing to do something about it."

Cole nodded slowly. "I see...so, you want to overthrow the monsters?"

Chara shook her head. "Not entirely. I just want to be able to reclaim what the monsters stole from us."

Cole was now skeptical. "By launching violent attacks. Why not peaceful protests?" Chara laughed dryly. "Last time we tried that, 200 of us were arrested as political prisoners, and we never heard of them again." Cole was about to follow up when he heard the sound of a phone ringing. He glanced at his pocket, before taking his phone out.

"Shoot, it's my sister...can I take this?"

Chara nodded. "Of course, we can talk more later." She went on ahead. Cole found a chair and sat down before answering.

"Hey Julia." His sister immediately broke into frantic speech, sounded relieved.

"Oh thank God, you're alright! I just saw it on the news! The car bomb and gunfight just outside your apartment building! Are you alright? Please tell me you're alright!"

Cole cracked a small smile. "It's been over a year since you last bothered to call me, and it takes a violent strike on my street for you to call? Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry."

Julia sounded exasperated. "Oh come on Cole, that's not fair! You know how busy I've been."

Cole nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, I get it, I'm just messing with you. How's college?"

Julia sounded almost relieved to change the subject. "It's going fine I guess, though it's almost a whole different world over here. I'm sorry, I'm just so glad you're alright, you have no idea how scared I was…" He heard her weeping quietly on the opposite end and he spoke comfortingly.

"Hey, don't cry, please? I'm alright. I promise. Listen, I have to get going alright? I'll...I'll call you soon. Sound good?"

She heard Julia give a sniff before responding. "O-Okay. Stay safe, alright?"

Cole sighed. "Always. Love you sis." With this, the hung up, looking around with a sigh. Was he really okay? It was a lot to take in, a whole resistance movement stationed in his hometown? He huffed in amazement. Maybe it was a good thing he had found these people. After all, he had also killed a monster in the attack earlier that day; perhaps it would be good to have people to show him what to do to defend against himself. For now though, he would try to just keep a low profile. He knew there were cameras everywhere in the area, and they likely had seen what he had done.

"_Might even be a good idea to get out of Kester for a while."_ He thought. How would he do that though? Maybe Chara could help him out. He stood up, proceeding down the hallway and wondering how deep of a rabbit hole he was in.


	4. Surveillance

Asriel wandered down the sidewalks of Kester, sighing as he once more looked down at the picture in his hand. The picture was of Cole. It had been captured during the earlier firefight the previous day. Luckily for them, one of the soldiers that had survived the attack was wearing a body camera which managed to capture a clearer picture of Cole than the CCTV footage. Undyne had managed to get the picture printed out just before Asriel set out.

The first step in surveillance would be to find out where Cole lived. Since they weren't able to retrieve an address from the facial recognition monitors back at Home, Asriel needed to do it the old fashioned way. He turned up the cobblestone pathway leading up to the front door of nearly the two dozenth house he had tried that afternoon, giving it a tired knock. A few moments later, the door swung open revealing a human woman. Asriel smiled politely.

"Good afternoon ma'am. I'm sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you could do something for me real quick."

The woman was already wary. "Depends, what is it?"

Asriel showed her the picture of Cole. "Do you know this kid?" The woman looked close at the picture for a moment before nodding.

"He looks familiar. I think he works down at a grill-house, Grillby's. If I remember correctly, he was one of the waiters there." Asriel took a breath of relief. Finally, some progress.

"May I ask where this 'Grillby's' is located?"

The woman pointed up the street. "Two blocks up, turn right, and it'll be right there for you."

Asriel nodded gratefully. "Thank you ma'am." She promptly closed the door, leaving Asriel alone on the doorstep. Shrugging he turned and walked quickly up the road. A few minutes later he turned the corner, then saw the grill-house just as the woman said. After taking a swift glance up at the sign above the building, he pushed the door open, making his way inside.

He looked around curiously. It was a quiet little diner. Not many customers were in at the time, but it seemed like on the holidays it could become packed. He found himself wandering to the bar counter where he sat down. A monster made of fire appeared from the back room, and looked surprised to see Asriel.

"Well! It ain't every day I get to serve royalty, Prince Asriel."

Asriel rubbed the back of his head. "Guess it was only a matter of time before somebody recognized me."

The fire monster chuckled, folding his arms. "Indeed. My name's Grillby, I'm the owner of the establishment. What can I get for you, your highness? Whatever it is, it'll be on the house."

Asriel once more took the picture from his pocket. "Sorry Grillby, I'm actually looking for someone. Do you know who this person is?" He slid the picture across the counter, allowing Grillby to look at it. Grillby adjusted his glasses and picked up the picture, giving it a brief glance before handing it back.

"Sure do. He's one of my best employees!"

Asriel decided to dig a little deeper. "Oh? Is he in today?"

Grillby sounded puzzled. "No, he ain't. Which worries me, because he should be here. The only time he's ever missed a shift was because he was sick once, but he's never just not shown up. It ain't like him."

Asriel's curiosity once more tugged at him. "Do you know where I might be able to find him?"

Grillby nodded. "I don't know the exact address, but I know the building. He's living in Harewood Apartments, a few miles away from here. That's all I know unfortunately. Is there a reason why you're looking for him?"

Asriel figured it was now time to go. "I'm unfortunately not at liberty to say Grillby. You've got a nice place here, I may come here again at some point in the future." He waved goodbye to Grillby, before proceeding out the door. He broke into a slow sprint down the sidewalk, eager to reach the apartment building. At last he was getting somewhere. Nearly half an hour later, he arrived at the apartment building. Now, it would be back to digging for information.

He walked inside, approaching the man sitting at the receptionist desk. He looked a bit older, likely in his early 60's. He looked up as Asriel approached, then looked down at his paperwork again, speaking somewhat gruffly.

"We don't have any available apartments."

Asriel decided to let it slide. He was aware that humans weren't exactly the keenest on monsters, even if they knew who they were talking to.

"I'm not looking for an apartment sir, more so I'm looking for somebody that's living in one of yours. Cole Nelson lives in this building, correct?"

The man looked up again as Asriel showed him the picture. He nodded once. "Yeah, what about him?"

Asriel pocketed the picture now that he had the mans attention. "I'm just trying to find him. Is he upstairs?"

The man shook his head. "No he isn't. He hasn't been seen anywhere from what I can tell ever since the attack yesterday. Never came back when he went out for a walk, never checked in when the curfew went into effect. He hasn't come back all night either."

Asriel's ear twitched. Things just continued to get more interesting. "I see...can I ask what apartment he's living at? I might go up and just see if he came home without your knowledge."

The man jerked a thumb in the direction of the elevator. "Fourth floor, room 49."

Asriel nodded in thanks, walking over to the elevator. On the fourth floor, the doors slid back open, allowing him access into the hallway. He looked for the numbers on the identical doors, finally finding room 49.

He first checked to make sure nobody was around, then tried the door handle. Locked. Still, the lock looked to be fairly standard, shouldn't be too hard to get through. Asriel nodded, a plan formulating in his mind. With this, he turned and walked back down the hallway.

_**THAT EVENING...**_

The dark sky glimmered with the occasional break in the clouds, revealing twinkling starlight overhead. Every footstep sounded like it could wake the whole street as Cole slipped through the back alleys of Kester. The conversation from earlier flashed back through his mind.

"How can I be assured I won't turn out like the members who were arrested?" The question had been to Chara. She looked inquisitively at him.

"You mean, the ones who were sent to Mount Ebott?"

Cole nodded apprehensively. "I'm no fighter. I've got no idea how to defend myself, hell I don't even own anything that could be used as a weapon. Unless a kitchen knife counts. Now I've been caught up in your war, and a monster, a _soldier_ might I add, is dead because of me. There were cameras all over that street; they'll definitely be coming for me."

Chara thought about this for a little while, then responded. "We have a couple of safe houses spread over the occupied territories, and most of them aren't at full capacity. If you really feel like you need it, we can smuggle you out of Kester and get you set up in one of them until you've trained yourself how to fight properly."

Cole nodded, his tensions easing only slightly. "Sure, that can work."

"But…" Chara spoke again, making him pause. "If you go to the safe house, you're one of us. There's no turning back. This means you'd have to learn how to fight, or if not fight, contribute in some other way to the Republic. If you don't want any part of this, fine. We'll let you return to your life. But that means that if the monsters do come for you, we won't be able to protect you."

Cole looked down to his feet. It was a big decision. He had been not entirely happy with his life, but he had learned to accept it. At times, he almost enjoyed it. Committing himself would mean giving up everything he knew. It wouldn't be easy.

But, then again, it hadn't been easy leading up to this day either. What would he be throwing away? A life of drab monotony, of trying to quietly shuffle around patrols, of just another victim of war.

He looked back up at Chara, his mind made up. It was time to make something of himself. Hey, may even change the world for the better. "Alright. I'll do it."

Chara turned away abruptly. "I'll make the arrangements. If you have anything you want from your home, get it now. It might be awhile before you can return. When you arrive at the safe-house, we'll provide you with means of defending yourself."

Now, Cole moved as quietly as he could in the dead of the night, slowly making his way back to his apartment. As he approached his building, he saw a small patch of brighter sidewalk ahead. Thinking quickly, he ducked into the alley and pressed his back up against the wall. He held his breath as a small foot patrol turned the corner a few seconds later. They walked by on the sidewalk, flashlights on their armor illuminating the way in front of them. He exhaled when they had passed, silently grateful the patrol didn't peer into his alley.

He moved further into the alley, finally spotting the service entrance for the apartment building. Searching around with his hands, he found a pin nearby, and fiddled with the lock until he heard it click open. He slipped inside, closing the door silently behind him. Here, he took a moment to breathe. The patrols were far more frequent at night, and it had been like trying to navigate a minefield without a mine detector.

He began to make his way up the staircase, not daring to take the elevator this time. Too much noise. Finally, he reached his floor, and walked down the hallway. He took the key to his apartment out, and slipped it into the lock, then frowned as he tried to turn it. Yet, nothing happened.

He tested the doorknob, and felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he realized it was already unlocked. He remembered locking it this morning. As he pushed the door open a crack, he heard a single footstep from in the apartment, followed by what sounded like a drawer opening. Somebody was inside. Had the monsters come for him already?

He reasoned that if they had already found him, the building would be surrounded. If he tried to run now, he could easy get caught by a foot patrol. He had already pushed his luck in getting home without issue. Besides, if there were officers inside he could always play dumb.

He slipped inside, and closed the door behind him, turning the knob so the click wouldn't be audible. Every light was off, and only the dim street lights outside broke through the windows. He took a swift glance into the kitchen, seeing several cupboards had been opened. The sounds were coming from his bedroom. As he poked his head around the door, he saw a lone figure, dressed completely in black, with a hoodie over its head. It had opened one of the bedside drawers and was rummaging around. Seeing nobody else around, Cole made himself known.

"Hey!" The figure looked up, and he could see the surprise in the figure's eyes, a black bandanna covering the figure's mouth and nose. Clearly his arrival was unexpected. He just barely caught a glimpse of white fur in the orange light in the glow of the street lamps. It was indeed a monster he faced.

After a brief pause, the monster sprung into action. He jumped over the bed, swinging one leg out to give a sharp kick to Cole's chest, knocking him back from the door. Cole stumbled with a grunt, the wind knocked out of him. The figure sprinted past, and Cole just managed to see the figure leap from an open window to the fire escape. Scrambling to his feet, Cole followed. By the time he reached the window though, the monster was gone.

Cole took a moment to get his breath back. Whoever that monster was, it was fast. It was also clearly not interested in arresting him, at least yet. So why was it here? He walked back to the bedroom, looking into the open drawer. Nothing appeared to have been stolen, at least not from what he saw. Still though, it was a disturbing development. He quickly took out his phone, calling Chara on the secure number she had given him. She picked up and spoke briefly.

"Yes?"

Cole spoke rapidly. "There was a monster in my apartment. Whoever it was, he, or she, was looking through my things. Nothing looks to be missing, but I feel like it wasn't just some burglary."

Chara was silent for a moment, then responded. "Get what you need and get out. I've gotten transportation ready, my men will rendevouz with you on the outskirts in one hour. There's no time to waste." With that, Chara ended the call.

Thinking fast, Cole fished a backpack out, shoving three sets of clothes in, as well as a couple personal trinkets he held dear to him, before rushing back out of his apartment, not bothering to close the door on his way out. He moved rapidly down the stairs, soon exiting back out into the alley. He glanced up the alley towards the street once, before running in the opposite direction.

The routine of dodging the patrols and prying eyes of the street cameras once again took over Cole's actions as he slipped through the smaller back roads of Kester. It was just under an hour later before he broke free of the taller buildings in the city, entering a more residential and rural area. Soon parked a short way up the street, he saw a jeep sitting up the road.

As he approached, he saw a man come from a door, and a flashlight illuminate on the end of a rifle as he aimed it at Cole. Almost immediately he lowered it when he saw who it was, waving quickly to Cole. Cole picked up the walking pace, and hopped into the backseat of the jeep, with two of the militia soldiers sitting up front. The jeep quickly started up, and turned left off the road into a dirt path sitting by the road.

The jeep bounced along as they drove over the bumpy surface. While it wasn't comfortable, it was necessary to avoid the checkpoints the monsters manned during the night. After what seemed like over an hour, they finally re-joined a small country road, well out of the way. In the distance, Cole could see the darkened city of Kester just off to the right. He took out his phone, and the man in the right seat glanced over the seat.

"What are you doing?"

Cole looked up. "I was about to text my sister, just reassure her again that I'm alright. She sounded distraught."

The man shook his head. "No. If you send a message out, the monsters could find a way to trace it."

Cole was confused. "But, I was allowed to talk on the phone with her back at the main headquarters…"

The man replied. "We have signal scrambling technology at all our outposts. It makes communications easier. That, or we use direct secure lines."

Cole shrugged, and pocketed the phone, gazing out the window into the night. It was nearly four in the morning by the time they once more turned onto a hidden gravel pathway that stopped abruptly in the middle of the woods. Still, the driver proceeded onward through the trees, as if the trail continued. After another twenty minutes,

Cole saw a small house come into view. The jeep came to a stop, and the ignition was turned off. The soldier in the passenger side hopped out, as did Cole, taking his backpack with him. The soldier nodded at Cole.

"Chara insisted one of us stay with you. So, we may as well get to know each other. I'm Victor." Cole half nodded as he pulled the strap of the backpack. When they were both clear, the driver started up the jeep, and drove away.

Victor led the way to the house, unlocking the door and moving inside. Immediately he locked the door and sat on a couch in the next room, looking out the window. Cole in the meantime, decided to head to the bedroom. He sighed as he fell backwards, falling asleep almost immediately, the stress of the day finally taking its toll.

_**EARLIER…**_

Asriel scrambled a few steps up the fire escape ladder, and stopped just as Cole's head stuck out. He slowly peered downwards, watching as Cole's head disappeared back inside. Sighing in relief, he removed the bandanna, breathing in the fresh night air. The encounter had been a little close for comfort and he wasn't too keen on frequently relying on people's tendency to forget to look up. Yet, it had been revealing.

Cole as it turned out, was not an official member of the Torin Republic, at least to his knowledge. In fact he appeared to just be an average human trying to get by in life. He didn't even own a weapon, and certainly didn't know how to fight properly. Still though, the way he acted in the attack and his immediate capture, it was puzzling. Even more so now that he was out and about. It certainly threw in a wrench in the works. He took out his cellphone, giving a call. Asgore's voice came over the phone.

"King Asgore Dreemurr, who am I speaking to?"

Asriel smiled. "Hey Dad, it's me."

Asgore's tone brightened. "Oh, why hello Asriel! How's your assignment coming along?"

Asriel took a serious tone. "There's been...complications. The republic has released Cole, I just encountered him when I was snooping around."

Asgore sounded immediately concerned. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Asriel spoke reassuringly. "Don't worry Dad, I'm fine. He didn't really put up a fight, and he didn't see who I was." "_At least, I HOPE he didn't."_ He added on quietly to himself. Asgore sighed.

"I see. This is...an interesting development to say the least. Did you find anything?"

Asriel took out a small picture he had found and pocketed while looking through Cole's things. On the picture was the face of a girl who looked to be in her late teens, similar age to Cole.

"...Yeah. I'll come back to Home, I'll show you there."


	5. Family Ties

Asriel walked down the hall in the palace towards the war room where he had arranged to meet with Asgore and Undyne to report on his new findings, the day after he had visited Cole's apartment. When he entered however, only Undyne was present. Asriel looked around, then spoke questioningly.

"Where's Da-, King Asgore?"

Undyne shrugged. "Probably off doing taking care of something, he's a busy guy you know."

Asriel nodded, feeling stupid. He sometimes forgot how much was riding on Asgore's shoulder. He took the picture of the girl he had found out, showing it to Undyne.

"Do you know if Cole had any family?"

Undyne took the picture, looking it over. "I can bring up Cole's file, that ought to list any family connections."

Asriel nodded. "Good, would you mind starting on that?"

Undyne walked over to one of the computers on the wall, and pulled up Cole's file. "Only family we have on file is a sister, a Ms. Julia Nelson. Can I take another look at the photo?" Asriel handed the picture to her.

"Yup, looks like a match." Just then, Asgore walked in. Asriel glanced over his shoulder, smiling confidently when he saw him. Asgore seemed excited.

"Ah, greetings Asriel. Well, what were your findings? You said you would inform us further when you were here."

Asriel nodded. "Well, I'll first start by saying Cole clearly isn't a fighter. He didn't have any weapons in his house. Honestly, he didn't have much of anything - just the necessities, plus a television and a couple trinkets I found laying around. It seems he just got caught up in something he wasn't supposed to be in."

Asgore looked puzzled. "Intriguing...though, why would the Torin Republic capture him, only to release him a day later? I don't imagine he said anything to you?"

Asriel shook his head. "Nothing. From what it looked like though, he had just been released when I ran into him. He had kind of a nervous look in his eyes. His boss at work also told me that he hadn't come in that day, didn't even make a call. Never checked into the apartment at curfew last night either. "

Undyne spoke up from the computer with her own suggestion. "Maybe the Republic brought him in as a recruit?"

Asgore scratched his chin thoughtfully. "It's certainly a possibility…give him a chance to pick some things up before smuggling him out. Asriel, did you stick around to see if he left the building again?"

Asriel looked down sheepishly. "No… I didn't think to stay, I was too concerned that the kid would see and recognize me."

"No worries," Asgore replied. "We can get a soldier in that area to take a look. You said you had found something of interest though, right Asriel?"

Asriel nodded. "Yeah, it was buried under a book in one of his bedside drawers. A picture of his sister by the looks of it." He nodded towards the computer. "The kid had it tucked away so I figured I'd bring it back in case it meant something."

"Did you see any sign of anybody living with Cole?" Asriel shook his head apologetically, and Undyne continued. "I wouldn't have expected you to your highness, it says she's attending the Venzor College. She's been a student there for just over a year now. It's a little ways north of Agolens, which is quite far from Kester. My guess is she's staying in a dorm room. "

Asgore nodded approvingly. "Good. This is good. I want to find a way to bring Cole in, and have a little chat with him. Sometimes...family can be a good persuasion."

Asriel glanced at his father. "What, we're going to arrest her? She hasn't really done anything wrong…"

Asgore shook his head, sighing. "No, Asriel. We're just going to... give her an opportunity to help us out. Undyne, go and see if you can bring her to Home please."

Undyne nodded, standing straighter. "I'll make the preparations, I'll try to have her back here within a day or two."

Asriel moved away, and Asgore lowered his voice. "I know your feelings on humans Captain...but remember, if she's been away, she likely has no idea of what's happened with Cole. I also want her to have a good impression and keep her relaxed. So just...be gentle if you can. However, if she tries to resist...you have permission to bring her in with force. I want Cole found. He could provide us with information that could finally end this war."

Undyne nodded, keeping the same hushed tone. "Understood."

TWO DAYS LATER…

The can flew off the fencepost with a sharp pang as the bullet met its mark. Cole smiled proudly to himself, standing up and lowering the barrel of the hunting rifle. Nearby, Victor observed him. The two had been kept in the cabin for a couple days now, so Victor figured it would be a good idea to at least train Cole how to shoot properly. Thankfully, there were a couple of toys laying around the house like the rifle that came in quite handy.

"You're improving. Still need to work on steadying your aim though. You were a bit twitchy, that's why you missed the first few shots."

Cole rolled his eyes. "At least I hit it eventually."

Victor folded his arms. "In battle, if you miss once, it could spell the end of your life. For now though, we can take a short break."

Cole's smile faded and he nodded. Turning, he walked back inside. He then took out his phone. He didn't doubt that Julia likely would have been trying to call him again, and he just wanted to make sure she knew he would be fine. However, Victor made it very clear he was not to call anybody, in case the monsters had tapped his phone to spy on a conversation. He glanced over his shoulder at Victor.

"How long will this last? I really want to let my sister know I'll be fine. She sounded distraught the last time we talked."

Victor poured himself a glass of orange juice from the fridge. "You know the rule. When Chara thinks it's safe, we'll get you back to the outpost in Kester. Until then, no communication with the outside world of any kind." This rule of course was meant only for Cole. Victor had a specialized phone with an encryption coder on it, ensuring the line could never be traced.

Sighing, he walked over to the living room, sitting down and gazing out of one of the windows into the lush forest surrounding the secluded house.

"It's very beautiful out here, I never really got to see much of this when I was younger."

Victor glanced up, and nodded. "I suppose it's something…"

Cole's mind began to wander. "I remember when we were younger, my sister and I lived in a home near the outskirts. Had a beautiful view of a meadow a little way off."

Victor followed his gaze out at the trees. "Nature can be a thing of beauty. Almost makes you forget about your worries."

Cole gave a forlorn sigh. "Mhm...haven't been able to really just get out and away from it all since Julia and I moved further into the city."

Victor replied. "You talk about her a lot, huh?"

Cole shrugged. "We're very close."

Victor asked curiously. "What about your parents? You've never even mentioned them. Don't you think they'd be worried too?"

Cole's gaze lowered. "I bet they would be..."

Victor paused, sensing a story behind the answer. "Oh?"

Cole nodded. "Mhm. Monsters got them. About four years ago, they took part in a riot against the monsters. Monsters opened fire on the rioters. They killed dozens, and arrested the rest, my parents among them. They're probably up at Mount Ebott somewhere, and who knows what's happened to them from there."

Victor looked down himself. The story wasn't entirely uncommon, but it was still difficult.

"Well, all things considered, you've turned out alright."

Cole smiled meekly. "Yeah, I've got my sister to thank for that. We spent a couple weeks out on the streets, and I ended up trying to rummage through the trash for scraps behind Grillby's. He found me, and gave me a free meal, on the house. Then, he offered me a job. Said he couldn't turn away someone in need. So, I've worked for him ever since. Managed to get a cheap apartment. I never spent anything on myself. Apart from rent, I gave everything I had to my sister so she could go to school again. Now, she's at a college over in what used to be the Grudor Kingdom. She left a year ago, but I've continued to save in case she needs more money."

Victor smiled. "Pretty damn noble of you. Must've been tough."

Cole nodded. "It was. Sometimes I wasn't even sure why I kept trying. We've only got each other now."

There was silence for some time, before Victor spoke again. "Hey kid...for what it's worth, I'm sure your parents are thinking about you. They may be in Mount Ebott, but if Chara gets her way...soon, everybody underneath that rock will be free." Next

Cole glanced up at Victor. "You think so?"

Victor chuckled. "Trust me. Chara can be very determined when it matters. If she wants to do something, she won't stop until she's seen it through. She'll find a way. Now, why don't we work a bit more on Morse code?"

Cole smiled, a tiny spark of hope reigniting within him, and turned away from the windows, going back to the kitchen.


	6. Compromised

Cole stared at his phone, outside in the twilight, a cricket chirping restlessly, whilst an owl called deeper in the woods. He checked the clock again. 10:02 PM. Taking a deep breath, he turned his phone on. His conscience finally won over him. He just had to let his sister know that he was still alright. But, he instead decided to wait. He reasoned that the monsters, if they had tapped his phone, would be listening for outgoing calls, not incoming. He would need to be patient.

Five minutes passed. The five minutes turned into ten, which turned into thirty, which turned into an hour. Cole had nearly fallen asleep before he felt the phone start to vibrate. In a heartbeat he picked up, putting the phone to his ear.

"Julia?"

He heard her voice on the other end. "Hi Cole, you picked up pretty fast…"

Cole chuckled. "Nothing else to do I guess."

Julia sounded relieved to hear him. "How have you been doing?"

Cole heard the edge in her voice. "I've been doing alright...are you though? You sound a bit tense."

Julia answered quickly. "Just worried about you is all. Why haven't you been answering my calls?"

Cole thought fast, trying to think of an answer he could give. "I've been real busy at work, that's all. I've been picking up extra hours."

Julia wasn't convinced. "Really? I tried calling you at work, but Grillby said you haven't come in at all the past couple days."

Cole silently cursed to himself, quickly thinking up another excuse. "Alright, alright. I've...I've just been taking some time, let things settle down a bit." There. It wasn't much of an excuse, but it would hold. Julia sighed.

"Cole...are you in some kind of trouble? You can talk to me about this stuff you know."

Cole leaned forward, groaning inwardly. "I'm not in trouble Julia, you don't have to worry about me."

Julia then spoke again. "I...I want to come visit you. It's been so long since we've seen each other, and with all this, I want to be there to support you."

Cole shrugged. "I don't think that'd work. I'm...not exactly living at the apartment anymore."

Julia now sounded curious. "Oh? Where do you live now?"

Cole glanced at the door, before answering cautiously. "I...I can't exactly tell you right now. Look, don't worry about it. When things settle down we can arrange a time to meet, and I'll tell you all about it then. I really should be going."

Julia was silent for several moments before responding. "Alright, have a good night then. Love you Cole."

Cole sighed. "I love you too." He hung up, then immediately turned his phone off again. He was just hoping Victor hadn't heard the conversation, he'd have his head on a plate for taking such a risk. He then rolled over, groaning into the pillow. He hated lying to his sister, but he had no choice. Some day, he hoped he would be able to tell her everything. For now though, he would continued to keep it in the dark. It was for her own good.

_**MEANWHILE…**_

Julia put her phone down, then looked up at Asgore who stood across the table in the interrogation room. Asgore nodded.

"Thank you Ms. Nelson, you've been very co-operative."

Julia scoffed. _When armed police show up at your dorm, what are you going to do?_ she thought to herself. Deciding it would be against her interests to voice that, she simply asked, "Can you finally tell me what this is all about?"

Asgore sighed. "As I told you before, I would rather not discuss the matter with you now."

Julia was clearly outraged. "He's my brother! His hard work is the reason why I'm at the Venzor College in the first place. So excuse me if I'm worried about what's happened to him! I'm the only family he's got, shouldn't I have the right to know?"

Asgore looked up, meeting her eyes. "Do you really want to know?"

Julia nodded firmly. Asgore sighed, then gave it to her straight. "Cole Nelson has a warrant of arrest for participating in terrorist activities, and the deaths of two soldiers."

Julia gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. Her eyes widened with shock and disbelief.

"N-No, there's no way that's true! Cole's too nice to do such a thing! You're looking for the wrong guy!"

Asgore kept his serious look. "There's video evidence of the attack. Your brother can be seen with an automatic rifle, shooting down two soldiers in the attack that took place three days ago."

Suddenly, Undyne opened the door, nodding at Asgore. "We got it." Asgore nodded, then turned to leave, though he spoke once more over his shoulder at Julia.

"I do not wish to kill your brother Ms. Nelson. I merely wish to speak with him. You have been most helpful." He then left her alone in the room. Undyne spoke once the door was closed.

"We traced the call to a remote location in the middle of a patch of woods, a few hours outside of Kester. Best guess is there's a hidden bunker out there. Do you want me to get a strike team ready?"

Asgore nodded. "At once. Oh, and Undyne…" Undyne paused. "I want him alive." She nodded, before walking down the hallway.

_**HOURS LATER…**_

The leaves rustled in the trees overhead as Undyne stepped carefully amongst the foliage. She raised a hand, stopping the three soldiers with her as the darkened house came into view. On the opposite end of the tiny clearing, she could see slight movement, as the other party signalled they were ready. Undyne nodded, then grunted quietly again to the others.

"Remember, this is not a kill mission. We take him alive." The other monsters in the group nodded. Undyne aimed her assault rifle at the building, giving a hand signal at the other group, and they began to tighten the ring.

Inside, Cole woke to Victor shaking him awake, and hissing quietly to him. "Cole, you need to wake up, right now!"

Cole sat up groggily. "Mhhn? What's going on?"

Victor spoke urgently. "Monsters. I think they've gotten us surrounded."

Cole was instantly wide awake. "How did they find us?!"

Victor nodded to the door. "That doesn't matter right now. Come on."

Cole slipped out of bed and followed Victor outside. Out one of the windows, Cole saw the slightest of movements from the trees and he gulped nervously. Victor moved to the kitchen, and knelt down on the wooden floor. He found a loose floorboard, pulling it up to reveal a burner cell phone and a handgun. He took the pistol out, handing it to Cole, while he took the phone out from the floor, and called the only number on the burner. Almost immediately after he dialed the number, he spoke.

"This is safehouse Alpha Thirteen. We've been compromised, I say again we have been compromised. We request immediate support." He threw the phone to the floor, and crushed it beneath his heel. He then took the hunting rifle, and looked to Cole.

"We'll barricade the front door, and hold them there." Cole instantly began making the preparations for the worst possible scenario. He helped Victor to push a bookcase over, pinning it up against the door. Victor then reached through the small gap, striking the doorknob several times with the small hammer to jam the lock. Meanwhile, Cole flipped the coffee table onto its side, setting up small fortifications with the furniture. Then, they were forced to wait.

Cole held his breath, his hand sweaty on the hilt of the pistol, as they listened to the sound of muffled footsteps outside. There was a fumbling with the doorknob, and an irritated voice spoke, though neither of them could pick up what the monster said. Suddenly, there was a loud bang of something striking the door. Then came a second, and after the third, Victor stared down the sight of his rifle. With the fourth strike, the monsters managed to break through the door, knocking the bookcase over. Almost immediately a small object was thrown into the room.

Before Cole could have time to react, he heard a deafening bang and he was instantly blinded by the bright white light. The ringing in his ears was unbearable, and Cole screamed as he stumbled, then fell to the ground, clutching his ears, trying to will the sound to stop. He heard a second loud boom, and then a wave of heat as Victor tossed a grenade over to the door.

As the blinding light began to clear and his vision slowly returned, he heard muffled shouting, followed by gunshots nearby. He shook his head, recovering from the initial blinding explosion to see Victor firing at the monsters trying to break through into the house. Cole grunted, grabbing the pistol, before he too began to fire at the invaders. Outside, the monsters attempted to return fire. He flinched as a bullet slammed the table, a small splinter of wood glancing off his cheek. Suddenly out of the one window, he saw two monsters going around the side, and he shouted to Victor.

"They're going around the side!" Victor took a swift glance over and shouted back.

"Pull back to the basement!" He managed to fire two more shots off before there was a small break in the firing. Taking the window, Cole ducked from behind the table, yanking open the door that led downstairs. He could hear a third explosion ring out as the monsters blew down one of the outer walls. There was two more gunshots, and as he raced down the stairs, he glanced up just in time to see Victor slump back against the wall. Breathing rapidly, he ducked around the corner, he tried to calm himself down as the heavy footsteps of the monsters following him downstairs echoed around. It only took them seconds to find him, and the one that found him shouted.

"HANDS IN THE AIR, DO NOT MOVE!" His sense of self-preservation kicked in, trying not to get shot as he quickly dropped the pistol, lifting his hands high above his head. The monster then pulled him down onto his stomach.

His hands were roughly grabbed, and pinned behind his back, handcuffs being placed onto him. He saw one of the soldiers standing back being approached by another.

"One dead upstairs, the rest of the house is clear. Let's get him out of here; there might be reinforcements coming."

The female monster nodded."Don't worry, we got what we came for. Let's get him back to Home." Two hands roughly yanked him to his feet, and he found himself face to face with the fish-like monster, who grunted when she saw him.

"You're lucky King Asgore wants you alive, or you'd already be dead."

Cole glared at her defiantly, then was pulled roughly out of the house, and away into the night.


	7. The Secret Code

Cole sat, staring at the table in the interrogation room. It had taken nearly two hours to transport him back to Home, and he had spent even longer waiting for his fate to be decided. He once more pulled on the handcuffs that had been attached by a small chain to the tabletop, and once more, there was no success. Sighing, he glanced back up at the analog clock hanging on the wall.

He looked up sharply as the door opened, and in came Asgore himself. Cole couldn't help but be surprised. He knew it would likely be someone high up that would tell him what was about to happen, but he did not expect that it would be the king himself. He quickly regained his thoughts, watching as Asgore slowly walked to the chair, sitting across from him. There, the two stared at each other for a few more moments, before Asgore spoke.

"Mr. Cole Nelson. As you should be aware by now, you have been charged for the murder of two monster soldiers, as well as collaborating with a known terrorist organization, and resisting arrest."

Cole held his gaze in defiance, refusing to allow Asgore the satisfaction of seeing how nervous he really was. Asgore continued to speak.

"Something strikes me as odd about you, Mr. Nelson. You have no violent background; you didn't even have a criminal record until the attack that saw you kill the two soldiers. You had a decent home for someone your age, a job that paid well, why would you go and throw all of that away?"

Cole thought about all the answers he could give, then decided to tell the truth.

"You know exactly why. You've taken away any freedom we had before you monsters came along. I want to see what it would be like to have those freedoms restored."

Asgore stared into his eyes, almost like he was searching for something. "I see...now Cole, understand that I want to try and give you another chance. I believe you can be a great man if you want to be. That can't happen though if you continue down this path. I however, will give you one chance to try and redeem yourself."

Cole was skeptical. "Try me."

Asgore furrowed his brow. "We haven't been able to capture many members of the Torin Republic alive, and those that do, are very strong willed in keeping quiet. You however, barely have any history with them. In fact, I'm almost certain you had no idea of their existence until the attack just under a week ago. So, I'm asking if there is any information, anything at all you can give us? If you tell us, I can make sure your sentence is drastically reduced."

Cole stiffened, and glared at Asgore. "Over my dead body."

Asgore was still for a few more seconds, then nodded. "Very well. Cole Nelson, you are to be transported at once to Mount Ebott, where you will remain indefinitely as punishment for your crimes against the kingdom."

As Asgore stood up to leave, Cole suddenly spoke, and Asgore noticed his voice wasn't nearly as angry as it last was.

"Wait! Can I...Can I at least call my sister, Julia? I...I just want to tell her not to worry about me. Maybe...Maybe I can write her a note?"

Asgore sighed, hunching his shoulders slightly. "I can do you one better." He then left the room, once more leaving Cole alone. A few minutes later, the door re-opened, and a guard walked in, placing a pen and paper down in front of Cole. As the guard left, he struggled to keep his jaw from dropping as Julia walked in. She quickly sat across from him, and placed her hand on his own. She looked like she had been crying. She spoke first.

"I-Is...I-Is it true? D-D-Did you really…?"

She trailed off, and Cole finished her thought. "It's...It's really complicated, alright? Yes...yes it's true. I won't hide it. What are you doing here anyway?"

Julia was about to tell him, but then decided it would be good to wait for another time to tell him the whole story.

"T-The monsters were looking f-f-for you...so, they b-brought me in to t-try and help find you! All I said was the truth, t-that I had no idea where you were!"

Cole shook his head, looking sympathetically into her eyes. "I'm so sorry Julia. You weren't supposed to get involved. I just wanted you not to worry about me, I didn't want for you to get caught up in all of this."

Julia sniffled, and rubbed at her eyes. "So...they're going to take you away?"

Cole slowly nodded solemnly. "Yeah. It looks that way. Just...don't be sad, alright? Have some hope. I promise you with my life, that I will see you again."

Julia stared deep into his eyes. "Promise?"

Cole nodded. "Promise. Here, I'll even write a note for you. That way, if you ever don't know what to do, you can read it, and see where you can find hope. If you ever find it hard to read it yourself, you can always do it with a friend. I don't mind."

Julia watched as Cole wrote out the note. He slid it across the table to her. When she read it once, she suddenly noticed a couple of the letters were ever so slightly bolder, or written at a slight angle than others.

"A**lth**ou_g_h we may _be _**s**_e_p**ara**t**e**_d_ for **a w**_h_i**le, **_I _trus_t_ **yo**u to **m**ake t_h_e _r_i**g**_h_t _d_ec**isi**o**n. D**o w**h**_at i_s **ri**gh_t _f_o_r _t_he wo_r_**ld, **_e_ven _i_f **t**h**e **c_ha_n**c**_e_s _l_oo**k b**le_a_k. R_e_m**e**m**be**_r _**t**_h_**e p**_a_st b**ut **_l_**i**_v_e **i**n _th_e _pr_**e**_s_**e**_n_t a_n_d _l_o**o**_k _t_o_**w**_a_r**ds **_t_h**e **_f_**ut**u**re**, _a_n_d _d**o**_n_'t _f_**o**r_g_et - I'_m _w_i_t**h **_y_o_u_ in your heart."

It was a code they had made up when they were younger to hide secret messages from their parents. She looked up at Cole.

"You're absolutely sure I'll see you again?"

Cole nodded, sharing a knowing look with her. "On my life." She leaned across the table, giving him a tight hug, before standing up. Outside, one of the guards grabbed the note from Julia, glancing at it for only a couple seconds before handing it back, looking like he couldn't care less. As she left, two guards came in, and unhooked the handcuffs from the table.

"Time to go." As Cole was escorted out of the room, he could just barely see Julia already heading for the door. Once outside, Julia quickly walked. away and read the note out once more in her head. This time though, she took a spare pencil she carried around in her purse. The code was to do with the presentation of the leader. Every three letters could stand for one letter in a series of abbreviated instructions. She began to write out the code on the back of the note. Once complete, she looked it over again.

"DIR,HOME,N4R2L1,FSTALLEYLFT,GOBCKSTAIRSDWN,NOKTWOFSTONELNGFOURFST." To the ordinary civilian, it wouldn't have meant much. Though to her, she knew exactly what it meant, memories flooding back of when they used it a long time ago.

"Directions: Start at home; go north 4 blocks, take a right, go forward 2 blocks, take a left, go forward 1 block. First alley on left. Go to back stairs and go down. Knock twice fast, once long, four times fast." She nodded, then looked for the first bus going to Kester. She had a journey ahead of her.

_**LATER…**_

Julia turned left into the alley, glancing over her shoulder to make sure she hadn't been followed. Once more, she took out the note, reading through the special code of letters Cole had laid out for her. The directions had been easy to follow once she had made her way back to Cole's apartment. As she completed the final instruction - to go down a flight of stairs at the back of an unmarked alley, she found herself face-to-face with a metal door.

Reaching a hand out tenderly, she gave it a soft knock, in a bit of a messy pattern that had also been hastily explained. The door was opened a crack to reveal a human eye peering out at her. She spoke timidly.

"I'm...I'm here about Cole? He told me to come here and knock…" The door opened fully, revealing a man armed with a rifle standing in the door. He jerked his head.

"This way." After hesitating, she followed him inside as the door was quickly shut. Immediately in front of her was another large set of stairs, which she proceeded to descend. The soldier led her through several hallways, lit up by lights on the ceiling. She rubbed an arm as her presence quickly drew the eyes of others. Soon, she found herself approaching another girl that seemed to only be a year older than her. The soldier spoke quietly to her, and then turned to face her.

"Greetings, I am Chara, leader of the Torin Republic. And you are…?"

Julia responded quickly. "Julia. I'm, Cole Nelson's sister."

Chara had a sympathetic look. "I see. I'm deeply sorry about what happened to your brother. If he told you to come here though, then that's a very huge relief."

Julia was puzzled. "How?"

Chara spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "It means he's alive. When did you last speak to him?"

Julia held out the note. "A few hours ago at Home, in the palace. They took him away somewhere after I spoke to him, but I have no idea. He gave me this note, and it says to come right here."

Chara accepted the note, looking it over curiously. She quickly noticed another unusual piece of writing. Several dots and dashes faintly written beneath the letters, so small that Chara thought at first that she was seeing things. It took her mere seconds to figure out what it was.

"Son of a gun."

Julia was instantly on edge. "What? What is it?"

Chara beckoned with her hand for Julia to follow her as she walked into a side room. "It's morse code. Crudely written, but legible. He's sending us a message as well as you." Chara put the note beneath a lamp, and on a second piece of paper, painstakingly combed over the note to pick out each letter. When she finally read out the finished product, she looked grim.

"He's being taken to Mount Ebott. It's a maximum security prison for political and military prisoners. Several of our members are being held there, who knows how many are actually there. Thing is, people that have been taken there, haven't been seen since. There aren't even any visiting rights."

Julia was slowly beginning to panic internally, and she just managed to keep herself composed.

"Isn't there anything you can do?! He doesn't deserve to be there! He'll die if that's where they're taking him!"

Chara put her head in one hand, racking her brain. With Julia sitting right there, she could hardly say no, but still it was such a huge risk. After minutes that felt like hours, she finally spoke.

"I have an idea…"

_**MEANWHILE…**_

Cole once more bounced in the hard seat of the armoured van that bumped along the poorly maintained dirt road leading through the woods and up the slope. They had been on the road for a little over an hour, but for the past forty minutes they had been making slow progress up the dirt road. Cole looked up again at the soldier glaring at him in the seat across, two more sitting on either side of him. Suddenly, the trees broke and gave way to see the rocky slope levelling off. Still, it wasn't hard to see that it was the monsters that had made this portion of the slope level.

The van came to an abrupt stop. The door was opened, and the butt of one of the monster's gun pressed against Cole's back, pushing him out of the van. As he stepped down, the gravel crunched beneath his feet and he had time to look around. The monsters quickly walked him toward the small mouth of a cave, leading into the heart of the mountain. As he was walked towards the darkness, he took a deep breath, and prepared to embrace his fate.


	8. Escape

Cole leaned his back up against the cold, hard wall of the prison, looking about the room from where he sat on the floor. It was one of many larger chambers in the underground prison. His stomach growled and he sighed, bringing one of his knees up to his chest with a sigh. Admittedly, he knew prison life wasn't going to be great, but he never imagined it could be this bad.

There were no cells, much to his surprise. Instead, the prisoners were allowed to wander free around the many chambers, although one look around would reveal there was no easy way out. The only entrance was through the cave mouth where he had come in, but the mouth was guarded closely by a platoon of prison guards, all heavily armed. In the week since he had arrived, he had seen one prisoner attempt to escape, but he had been gunned down almost the instant he tried.

Food was scarce. Rations were given, but there was never enough for everybody, and they only came once a week. As such, he found himself frequently hungry. With the prisoners being allowed to roam free, there were often brawls over food, and arguments were a constant. Cole had tried to keep a low profile, though his younger age sometimes drew the interest of others. For the first couple days, he had attempted to see if he could find his parents, but he had given up after finding no trace of them.

His thoughts reflected once more to Julia, the only thing that seemed to bring him any sort of comfort in the troubling setting. Had she understood the directions? Had she made it to Chara and delivered the message? Or, had she been found out, and captured as well? He reasoned that this second option was unlikely, since he hadn't seen her appear in the prison. Yet, it had been a week and there had been no sign of rescue. So even if Chara had received the message, did she care enough to come for him? His thoughts were broken as there was a tiny beep from the wristband locked on him. It was a tracking bracelet, mandatory for all prisoners to wear. This meant that there was someone trying to find him.

He looked around, wondering who it would be, but yet was surprised when he finally saw Asgore making his way towards him, flanked by several prison guards who glared threateningly at anyone that got too close. Cole looked away, grunting as Asgore approached.

"What do _you_ want?"

Asgore spoke smoothly. "To talk. Shall we go somewhere a little more private?" Seeing he wouldn't really have a choice in the matter, Cole stood up, following Asgore and his escort as they moved to a more secluded end of the prison. He sat down in a chair, and Asgore pulled another one over, sitting across from him. Asgore almost looked sympathetic.

"A boy like you doesn't deserve to be living in conditions like these. I know you want to get out, but you also know that you would die trying. You're not stupid that way."

Cole refused to meet his eyes. "Yeah, so what?"

Asgore was silent, then spoke again. "You appear to have had a lot of financial difficulties over the years. In fact, Julia told me it was your hard work that put her in at the Venzor College. Even so, you haven't stopped working in case more funds were required. I can respect someone that cares so deeply for family as you do."

Cole looked up, now curious to see where this was going. Asgore then asked a question. "What if I told you I could give you everything you once had back, and more?"

Cole frowned. "I'd probably ask if you could elaborate."

Asgore shrugged. "I mean, I could give you your life back. I could set you up with more money than you'd ever need. I could give you a nice home, and I could make sure Ms. Nelson gets the education that she desires. What's more, you have a big criminal record, as I've stated. If you accept my offer, I can make sure that the record gets completely erased. A blank slate. You would be able to start over, like nothing ever happened."

Cole was still skeptical, but was now interested. "What do I have to do?"

Asgore met his eyes, seeing he was making headway. "You would become a spy for us. I can stage a breakout, to get you out of the prison. From there, you can return to the Torin Republic. You would report back with anything useful you find to my son, Prince Asriel. If you wished, we could make you become known as the man who brought down the terrorists and brought back peace to the land."

Cole thought for a moment. He despised the thought of working for the monsters, but at the same time, this could be twisted into something great.

"I don't want your money, or any glory you promise. All I want, is to get my record erased, and for Julia to return to the college without having to worry about harassment or anything. I also want to know what happened to my parents."

Asgore nodded instantly. "Consider it done."

Cole spoke again. "One more thing. Once Julia returns to the college, I want her left out of this. She hasn't done anything wrong, and even she doesn't know the full story. She's innocent, and I don't want her getting involved in this further."

Asgore nodded. "I understand."

Cole nodded in return. "Alright...I'll do it."

Asgore stood up. "Excellent."

Cole spoke up a bit as Asgore began to walk away. "Wait, when is it going to happen?"

Asgore chuckled. "Trust me, you'll know."

_**LATER… **_

Once more Cole found himself trying to stay awake, staying near the edge of one of the rooms in the prison. Most of the prisoners were asleep. Suddenly, the lights overhead went out, and a moment later, red lights on the wall began to flash, an alarm going off. He quickly sat up straight, looking around.

Hee jumped as gunshots echoed through the caves. He heard muffled shouts echoing through the chambers. A small object was tossed into the room he sat in. He quickly covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut, just before the flashbang grenade went off. He opened his eyes a moment later, watching as several armed figures entered the room. They were wearing all black, and even their faces were covered, though he could tell they were monsters. One of them grabbed him by the arm, and Cole was pulled to his feet.

One of the prison guards rounded a corner, but before he could do anything, one of the masked soldiers fired two rounds into the guards chest. He crumpled to the ground, turning to dust as a couple of the prisoners gasped in shock. The soldiers threateningly aimed their rifles at any prisoners that tried to moved, and the masked soldiers began to move Cole through the caverns.

As they moved, Cole glanced to the right as he heard distinct voices. "Over here, watch yourself!"

The monsters escorting Cole once more opened fire on the guards as they came into view. Cole flinched as the loud gunshots echoed around the cavern. One of the prisoners suddenly jumped up, attempting to grab one of the monsters rifles. The masked monster swung at the prisoner, his fist connecting with the side of the prisoners face, sending him sprawling. He then put his rifle up, shooting the prisoner before Cole could stop him. Closing his eyes for a second, Cole continued to follow the monsters.

He was pushed quickly towards a large exhaust vent that had been shut down. Grunting, Cole climbed in, quickly crawling through to the exit. Outside, a firm arm pulled him up to his feet, and he could tell it was another monster that faced him. Two more piles of dust were on either side of the exhaust vent. The monster spoke through the balaclava he wore.

"This is where we'll part. Make sure you uphold your end of the deal."

Cole nodded, but then asked. "How will I know how and when to report?"

The soldier responded gruffly. "Prince Asriel will contact you." He then spoke to the other soldiers. Alright, let's move it out!" The group of soldiers quickly receded into the night, leaving Cole standing alone at the edge of the exhaust vent, the alarm still blaring in the distance. Thinking quickly, Cole half slid, have sprinted down the steep rock race by the vent, and into the bushes at the base of the small ridge. Once there, he continued to run deeper into the woods, and into the night.


	9. Double Agent

The sun was high in the sky by the time Cole finally entered Kester. Just over an hour had passed after Cole's escape before he was lucky enough to make it to an automated rail line, which he used to ride the rest of the way to Kester. As he walked through the streets, he made sure to keep the hood of his jacket over his head, and his hands in his pockets. His prison clothes were already disposed of by the extraction team.

Now, he turned down the alley, walking down the stairs to the door. He took his right hand out of his pocket, wincing as he knocked. His hand was bloody and bruised, after having to use a rock to smash the tracking bracelet off. The door was opened the smallest of cracks, and when the man behind the door saw who it was, opened the door, quickly ushering Cole inside.

Immediately he took the radio on his belt, speaking into it. "Lieutenant Chara? You'll never believe who just showed up."

Not even five minutes had passed before Chara turned the corner, eyes widening in surprise when she saw who it was. She laughed as she shook her head.

"Well I'll be! We were going to be leaving to break you out tonight! Looks like you've beaten us to it."

Cole smiled. "Just resourceful I guess. Wait, you said you were going to leave, does that mean…"

Chara finished his thought. "We got the message from your sister. I will give you credit, it was very creative the system you and her have."

Cole sighed with relief. "Oh thank God, then she wasn't captured. Is she here?"

Chara nodded. "Yes, we've been more than happy to accommodate her. I'm guessing you'll want to see her. Oh, do you want to fix your hand up first?" She asked, taking note of the bloody hand. Cole shook his head.

"Not now. I want to see her first."

Chara smiled. "Follow me." Cole followed her through the hallways to her little office, where Julia waited anxiously. She looked up as the door opened, and Cole walked in. She stood up immediately, walking forward to embrace him, nearly sobbing with relief.

"Cole! Oh thank god you're ok…"

Cole gave her a tight hug in response. "I'm just glad you weren't caught too. You were very brave to do that. I owe you one."

Chara folded her arms, leaning against the wall. "If you want, we can continue to let Julia stay here. I assure you, she'll be safe here."

Cole shook his head. "No, that's not necessary. Listen Julia. I want you to go back to the college, pretend none of this ever happened. Just go about your life. Whatever you do, DON'T try and contact me."

Julia looked uncertain. "But, what if the monsters try to use me to track you down again?"

Cole gave her a serious look. "Don't worry about that. I've made sure the monsters will leave you alone."

Julia stared into his eyes, but then nodded. Chara did the same, then spoke. "I'll make arrangements for her to be brought to a place where she can return to the college safely."

Cole nodded. "Thank you."

Chara wasn't finished though. "Could I speak to you for a moment Cole?"

Cole nodded, and Julia left the room. Chara's smile vanished. "You know, I was a bit suspicious already when you got here. Breaking out of Mount Ebott is unheard of. To do so, you would need help from a highly-trained, and well equipped force, something that you wouldn't exactly have had access to. You've confirmed my suspicions when you said that you 'made sure' the monsters wouldn't go after Julia again. So, I will ask you this once. What did you do?"

Cole took a breath, then responded. "When I was in there, I...I made a deal. With King Asgore. He offered me my life back, and a clean slate. In exchange, I'm supposed to give the monsters information about the Torin Republic, anything I can get my hands on. I told him I would. So, the king staged a breakout using his own soldiers. They think I'm going to be giving them information. Of course, I have no intention of doing so."

Chara nodded, looking down for a moment before looking back up. "I see. You intend to give them false information?"

Cole nodded. "Exactly. I figured the benefits of having you guys having an avenue for misinformation would outweigh my liabilities in communication. I'm not wired - or at least, I really hope I'm not, now that I'm spilling these beans. You can even search me if you want. Look, it's a nightmare in that place. If you knew what went on there, you would do anything to get out. Asgore's rule is so ruthless, they shot one of the prisoners during the staged breakout. Hell, he had his own guards slaughtered to get me out of there. Now that they dragged my sister into this, it's made it much more personal for me. I want to fight against them more than ever. Besides, maybe I can find some information about them I could give to you as well."

Chara huffed, sitting in deep thought. "It's...It's very risky. But, it just might work. We'll discuss this further later. For now, why don't you go get some rest? You must be tired."

Cole nodded gratefully. "Thank you. I promise, I'll make this work."

_**LATER THAT EVENING…**_

The act of slinking through the night, trying to remain unnoticed was beginning to become a regular routine for Cole. The door of Cole's apartment closed quietly behind him. He had made one final risky trip back to retrieve a couple belongings he held dear to him. He had been unable to bring them with him when he left for the safehouse due to the time crunch. He walked through the small living room towards the bedroom.

He paused, and turned around to look at the figure sitting in the couch. He recognized the figure being the same monster that had been in his apartment when he evacuated to the safehouse.

"Are you the monster I'm supposed to report to?" The monster nodded, then pulled down the bandana from his mouth, letting it hang around his neck as well as removed the hood. The monster looked almost exactly like a younger version of Asgore.

"Correct. Prince Asriel Dreemurr."

Cole looked around the room. "How did you know I would come back here?"

Asriel shrugged. "Just a hunch. I figured you had a couple things you'd want to get, so I decided to wait for you. I saw your sister by the way, she seems nice."

Cole gave him a cold glare. "Remember the deal I made with King Asgore. Julia stays out of this."

Asriel raised his hands defensively. "Right, right. I'll just assume you won't have anything to report tonight, considering you just got out of prison and all."

Cole sat on the armrest of the armchair. "So, what should I address you as? Sir, your highness, anything particular?"

Asriel shrugged again. "I'm not really one for formalities, you can just call me Asriel if you want."

Cole nodded. "Alright, Asriel it is. So, how will I be reporting to you?"

Asriel responded. "We would be using a drop-off system. You would write any information you find in a letter, and leave it at the drop off point for either myself, or another soldier to pick up. You no doubt are aware of the old observatory near the outskirts. Since it's been closed down for a few months, it'd be a perfect spot.

Cole nodded. "I'm familiar with it, the observatory should be fine."

Asriel looked confident. "Excellent. Try to deliver reports to us whenever you can, though I expect at least twice a week."

Cole nodded, folding his arms. "Alright."

Asriel stood up, once more putting the bandana over his mouth and pulling the hood over his head.

"Pleasure meeting you Cole, when I'm not snooping around at least. I'll see you around. Remember though, at least twice a week, or the deal's off. So if you can't make it, find a way to tell me. Clear?"

Cole nodded. "Crystal." Asriel walked to the window and started to climb out. Before he could climb up the fire escape though, Cole called after.

"Hey, if you ever come back here, which I really hope you don't, do me a favor and use the door alright? It's there for a reason."

Asriel chuckled. "Next time." He moved to the ladder, and then was gone.

Cole hung around for a few more seconds, moving to his room. He pulled open the drawer, and dug around, finding the tiny gap to pull up the false bottom of the drawer. Inside, was a letter given to him by his parents. He opened it up, giving it a short read before folding it up, tucking it safe inside his pocket. With this, he closed and locked the window, before making his own leave.

_**Authors note**_

**This is just a note to answer a question in a review written in the last chapter. Where is Toriel in all of this? Well, when you govern a kingdom that has three other kingdoms they control, there is much to handle. Asgore handles a lot of the authority, and military issues. Toriel handles more peaceful matters, such as the education system. As such, Toriel will more than likely not make an appearance in this story, since she is not relevant in this story.**


	10. Operation: Red Dawn

Cole made his way through the underground hallways in the Kester outpost. As he walked, his thoughts moved back to the previous month and a half. So far, everything had gone perfectly. Chara had been skeptical of the idea at first, but then she had suddenly become much more open to the idea. She had never told him the whole plan, only some parts that weren't a need-to-know. After all, he had to give the monsters some truth, or they would see through it instantly.

Chara meanwhile, had eventually told Cole why she was so enthusiastic about the idea suddenly. She was able to use the strikes much more efficiently to learn monster fighting tactics, as well as pinpoint which areas were more vulnerable than others.

The spread of misinformation had worked perfectly, and strikes from the republic were becoming far more frequent, although usually in smaller scale than normal. Now, Cole walked quickly, after being sent for by Chara herself, telling him it was a very important matter in the briefing room.

As he approached the room, the soldier standing by the door opened it for him, allowing him through. Chara looked up as he entered, nodding briefly. There were several laptops set up on the briefing table in front of her.

"Ah, good, you're here. Just in time too." She waved him over. As Cole walked behind the desk, he saw several other human faces on the screens, and the heads turned to look curiously at him. One of the faces was of a young man, who couldn't possibly have been very far into his twenty's. A second face showed a man in his early forties, with a third being that of a young woman. Chara motioned to Cole.

"This is Cole Nelson, the one I was just telling you all about, our double agent."

The woman nodded thoughtfully. "I take it he has played his part well?"

Chara nodded. "Flawlessly. Cole, I want you to meet these people. On the left is Commander Lawrence Callahan, who runs the outpost in Agolens..." The younger man gave a nod. "In the middle is Captain Sebastian Russell who runs the outpost in Home, and on the right is Commander Cassidy King, operating in Landow, the old capital of the Roneian Empire."

Cole nodded, giving a short salute to the three. He could see the excited look in Chara's eyes as she continued speaking to him.

"Cole, I wanted you present for this meeting, it's of great importance." Cole nodded, taking a small step back as Chara then addressed the three leaders on the monitors.

"It's time. My friends, Operation Red Dawn is a go." There was an immediate clamour of voices from the screens, but everyone now sounded just as excited as Chara. In the end, it was Lawrence who managed to be heard first.

"Is it true? After all these years, all this planning, is this really happening?"

Chara nodded. "Without a doubt. If we're going to do this, the time is now."

Cole spoke up. "I'm sorry for asking, but what is Operation Red Dawn?"

Chara glanced over her shoulder. "It's our final plan to finally overthrow the monster rule. We've been planning this for years."

Cole nodded, stepping back again. Cassidy spoke next. "The Landow outpost has been waiting for a very long time for this ma'am, we're ready to receive our orders."

Chara nodded. "Good. You all have your maps handy?" When the three confirmed, Chara spoke. Cole approached again so he could see the map as well.

"We're going to be launching several strikes all at once. Commander Callahan, your only target is going to be the local police station. The reason this is your only target, is because we have reason to believe that there are military-grade defenses both in, and around the station, and acquiring these supplies would be very useful. Of course, the station is heavily defended, another reason not to split the offence. Strategically, taking over the station is giving us military control over the city, if not diplomatic as well." Lawrence nodded, but asked a question.

"Wouldn't it make sense for us to take police stations all over the kingdom?"

Chara shook her head. "While other stations are less defended, there's just too many in other cities, we would be stretching our forces too thin. It would be a joke to try the tactic. If we take the most heavily defended one though, it will be a good display of how strong we really are. Plus, Agolens's police station is unique in that there is only one major centralized one; the city is small enough and the station is central enough to serve the entire city. This plays to our benefit, since it can serve as a centralized control point."

Then, Chara spoke to Cassidy. "Commander King, you have two targets. You've stated that there is a military inspection checkpoint on the main highway leading into Landow. Your forces are to overrun and secure that checkpoint. Then, you are to storm the city hall, and eliminate any monsters you encounter that put up resistance." Cassidy also nodded.

"Some of my forces back here are going to be overrunning city hall here in Kester, and going after a small military outpost stationed not far from Kester. Captain Russell, you have a special task. I'm going to be arriving with my main force in Home to join forces with your men. Together, we'll launch an all-out assault on King Asgore's palace." Sebastian's eyes shone with excitement as Chara nodded to Cole.

"Cole, this is where you come in. We want you to tell the monsters that there will be attacks in Kester, Agolens, and Landow, but give them the wrong buildings. We want to try and draw as much of the military as we can away from Home. The other attacks are going to be a diversion while the main assault takes place right at their front door."

Chara paused for a moment, to give Cole a chance to assimilate the information, before continuing.

"We'll also want to tell the monsters what time, or rather, the wrong time. Claim that the attack will be early in the morning, say around 4 AM. We'll really be attacking in the early evening, but I think doing this will tire them out with tension. With any luck, any resistance will be tired and hungry, as well as surprised."

Cole nodded, but was slightly confused. "With all due respect, why didn't you just tell me what to tell the monsters, instead of telling me the whole plan like this?"

Chara smiled. "Because you're going to be with me in Home. Figured you'd at least want to know your role."

Cole immediately felt giddy inside. Sebastian spoke from the monitors. "Speaking of the time, when will the attacks be happening?"

Chara looked at the date. "August 17th, at 1831 hours exactly. Not a second sooner, not a second later. The attacks need to all be launched at once to cause as much confusion as possible. For now, I want you all to go and study up on your targets. Learn every square inch of the blueprints, you'll be needing them."

The three leaders all looked grimly excited, and Chara took a deep breath. "This is really it, we'll finally see real change. Just remember. If monsters surrender, let them surrender. We want to prove we can be better than the monsters' ruthless tactics. There will be blood and dust spilled. There will be casualties on both sides. Remember, we have one shot at this. If we fail, then all the death that will be seen that day will be for nothing. Good luck to you all. And to you Captain Russell, I'll see you soon." The three captains gave a parting salute, before the call on all three screens ended, and Cole huffed.

"I don't think I've ever been this nervous in my life."

Chara gave his shoulder a firm pat. "Don't worry about it. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous too. We've been doing all this work, and there was a time when I believed we would never make it as far as we have. You've been a huge help Cole."

Cole smiled warmly. "It's been a pleasure."

The days that followed were full of preparation. Two days later, Cole made the trip to Home with Chara to meet again with Sebastian. Together, they took a small drone, and spent nearly two hours looking up and down various streets, as well as observing the outer castle itself.

The defences on the castle were extremely formidable. There must have been at least two dozen armed guards patrolling the outer walls facing the street at all times, and even more inside. All of them had large automatic weapons, some that would even be able to be mounted onto a surface. Striking the palace was not going to be easy. Luckily, they would have the element of surprise, at least that's what Cole hoped.

That same night he left the note reporting the inevitable attacks on the buildings, but as planned never mentioned Home, or the palace. As planned, Cole gave them the incorrect time, and the listed cities, but it wouldn't be nearly accurate enough to be of any major use in the end. The following morning when he looked, the note was gone. That same day the outposts in Landow and Agolens reported fresh troops arriving in the two cities, seeming to be making an unscheduled re-supply of the targeted buildings.

So far, everything was working perfectly. The monsters appeared to be taking the bait, and the forces in Home were growing slightly thinner, though it was noticeable that the members of the Royal Guard defending the castle never decreased in number. At the very least, it would mean it would take longer for reinforcements to arrive at the palace.

On the eve of the attack, Cole lay awake, eyes closed as he took in the scenario. Everything had escalated so quickly. One day he had just been another civilian on his way home from a walk. Two months later, and he found himself about to partake in a massive strike against the monster oppression.

One thing continued to bother him though. His parents. Asgore never reached out with word on them, despite his promise. Asriel had never told him anything either. Cole shook his head as he spoke quietly.

"Mom...Dad...if you're there...I know you're still alive somewhere...I just...I just hope you can hear me in your hearts. I'm doing this for you. All of this I'm doing for you, and for Julia. I hope one day, we can see each other again." He took a deep breath as sleep began to overwhelm him, and soon he found himself once more collapsing into slumber.


	11. Blood and Dust

_**OPERATION: RED DAWN - TOP SECRET**_

_**Commander Lawrence Callahan**_

_**Objective/s: Assault Agolens Police Department, securing arms and ammunition inside the station by any means necessary.**_

_**Commander Cassidy King**_

_**Objective/s: Secure Landow Overpass Checkpoint. Overpass will be used to move Torin Republic supplies in and out of Landow. Assault Landow City Hall. Capture the mayor, will be valuable to us at a later date.**_

_**Captain Sebastian Russell**_

_**Objective/s: Assault the royal palace in a joint operation with Lieutenant Chara. Seek out the war room and retrieve any/all information found on the Republic, as well as any/all plans to counter against our attacks.**_

_**Lieutenant Chara**_

_**Objective: Capture Prince Asriel Dreemurr**_

_**MISSION HAS BEEN GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT! WE MUST SUCCEED AT ANY COSTS! GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL**_

_**COLE NELSON - HOME, 6:30 PM**_

The truck was strangely silent as Cole sat in the front seat next to Chara. In the box on the back, sat dozens of soldiers, anxiously waiting for their time to shine. He looked once more to the watch he wore, watching as it strike 6:30. In his mind, he began the final countdown.

60 seconds. Time seemed to slow as the second hand slowly travelled around the small face of the watch. 30 seconds. A single drop of sweat fell from his head. 15 seconds. He glanced up briefly at Chara before back down at the watch. 10 seconds. He closed his eyes, trying desperately to clear his mind. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. His eyes opened as the truck roared to life and Chara spoke into the radio.

"Begin the assault!"

_**COMMANDER LAWRENCE CALLAHAN - AGOLENS, 6:29 PM**_

Lawrence glanced up the street at the police station, eyeing the armed soldiers and law enforcement officers standing by the building. He could hardly believe this was happening. Beneath the large coat, he felt the pistol once more bump against his side. Across the street another militia soldier wearing dark sunglasses mirrored his footsteps, and three more were coming at him from up the street. He glanced up at the roof as the clock struck 6:30.

He took the smallest of glances up to a roof adjacent to the police station. He could just barely see the head of another soldier poking up, though he was in the sunlight so the monsters wouldn't be able to spot him until it was too late. The seconds ticked by, until finally they were all in their positions. The second the clock struck 6:31, a shot rang out from the roof, and one of the monsters turned to dust.

_**SERGEANT EDWARD BURKE - LANDOW OVERPASS, 6:29 PM**_

Edward once more shifted in the backseat of the truck as they crawled forward

another inch. He repeated the order given to him by Cassidy the day before.

"Remember, watch your fire. We're on a heavily crowded bridge with civilians. If you think your shot will harm an innocent life, don't take it." The other soldiers in the back nodded in unison. He heard voices speaking to the drivers of the truck outside.

The clock slowly rounded, and the second the clock hit 6:31, he heard one of the monsters give a sudden shout, then several gunshots from outside, then silence. He was dismayed when he heard a monster speak, but brushed it aside, focusing on the mission. He aimed the rifle at the door as he heard them beginning to unlock the door.

_**COMMANDER CASSIDY KING - LANDOW, 6:29 PM**_

Cassidy breathed deeply as she and the rest of her force moved into one of the back alleys, leading up to the back door of the city hall. She got on the radio once more.

"Talk to me, what's it looking like?"

A male voice responded. "All quiet on the Landow Overpass so far." Cassidy nodded. "Tell me the second you see anything."

She cocked her sub machine gun, aiming it up at the door. The weapons the force used had silencers on them. It felt as though half an hour had gone by before suddenly they heard the echo of faint gunshots echoing over the river the overpass ran over, and a moment later the scout called back on the radio.

"Gunshots from the bridge, the assault on the checkpoint has begun!" Cassidy nodded, and aimed her gun at the door, motioning for another soldier to bring someone to open it. The soldier banged hard on the door, and the group waited as they faintly heard footsteps coming to investigate.

_**HOME**_

Cole clung tight to the armrest of the truck as Chara pressed the gas pedal to the floor, and the truck shot forward. She cranked the wheel hard to the left as they left the protection of the small dirt road, speeding down the street towards the palace, which could be seen less than a mile ahead. A second truck skidded out of another road, leading the charge.

Overhead, a small plane being flown by remote control from a separate location made a steep dive towards the castle. Cole ducked in the cabin of the truck as he saw the plane duck low, then bank hard to the right and veer off at the last possible second. Gunfire erupted from the outer defenses as the plane turned back for a second pass. The distraction was working.

Cole watched as the monsters on the outer wall suddenly began to realize what was happening as the two trucks grew closer. They began to open fire on the trucks in vain, but the bulletproof shielding deflected the few shots that hit their mark. The other truck slammed into the gate and right side of the wall, knocking both the gate and a large section of the outer wall down. The truck flipped over onto its side.

The tires screamed as Chara pulled the handbrake, spinning the truck so the left wall of the boxcar swung out, allowing them to be parallel to the outer wall. A portion of the left wall of the shipping container dropped away, revealing a human with a mounted machine gun, who immediately opened fire on the monster defenders. Meanwhile, the right wall was detached and clattered to the ground, and the rest of the soldiers poured out

Cole grabbed the assault rifle in the cabin, leaping out with Chara. In the capsized truck, they could see the back door pop open and soldiers, looking slightly worse for wear, begin to climb out and join the fierce fight. One by one the monsters turned to dust. Chara managed to regroup with Sebastian in the thick of the fighting, and as Cole shot another soldier, he heard Chara yelling over the din of the fighting.

"We can't get stuck here, we need to squeeze them in! Continue to push forward!" Slowly the human attackers rose from their cover, beginning to tighten the noose around the palace. When the final defenses of the outer wall fell, they took advantage of the small break to close into the gardens surrounding the palace.

Cole grunted as two bullets slammed into the bushes beside him, but he too pressed on as they finally neared the palace entrance.

_**AGOLENS**_

The second the sniper's shot met its mark, Lawrence quickly whipped the pistol out from the trench coat, and ducked behind a parked car while he shot at the monsters defending the outside of the police station. The other disguised soldiers quickly did the same. Screams rang out as both human and monster civilians fled the scene. This was fine though for Lawrence and his team.

The monsters had just been beginning to think the attack had been called off, and clearly they had let their guard down. Despite slightly outnumbering the humans, their fatigue meant they were still hopelessly overwhelmed. Within two minutes of the firefight, all the monsters had been turned to dust. Still, Lawrence kept his pistol trained on the door as they quickly walked towards the steps leading up to the doors.

Once they reached the piles of dust, Lawrence and his team picked up the automatic weapons the monsters were using, then closed in to the door.

_**LANDOW OVERPASS**_

As the monsters forcibly opened the doors of the truck, Edward and two of the other humans quickly gunned them down before they could do anything further. The squad quickly jumped out of the truck, and began shooting at the monsters at the checkpoint. Edward managed to get a glance at the cockpit of the truck, and saw blood on the windshield, along with both drivers sitting dead in their seats. Gritting his teeth, he once more shot at the soldiers, though he, like others in his group were forced to take several breaks in firing.

The bystanders quickly fled their vehicles, making their way back behind Edward and his team in a desperate attempt to get out of the line of fire. This suited Edward as it allowed for him and his team to use the now empty cars as reliable cover. He pulled the pin out of a grenade, and tossed it towards the checkpoint. He heard several cries from the monsters as the explosion rang out, sending two cars into infernos and turning four of the monsters to dust.

He ducked behind another car as bullets shattered the windows and slammed into the metal plating. Grunting he popped over the hood, quickly gunning down the monster firing at him. Over on the right he saw one of the human soldiers suddenly crumple to the ground, followed by a second. Anger surged through him. They had worked so hard to get here, and he would not let it be for nothing. He stood up from his cover and continued to push forward in the assault.

_**LANDOW**_

As the back door of the city hall opened, Cassidy shot the monster once directly in the head. Immediately the humans quietly, yet quickly slipped in through the back door. She knew most of the defenses would be out front, as much to defend as a display of power to the public. Entering through the back was a tactical way to buy them a few precious minutes.. As one of the city hall guards came around the corner, speaking with a monster delegate, one of Cassidy's men quickly shot the guard, and the delegate stared at them in shock, immediately throwing his hands up.

Cassidy kept her weapon trained on the delegate as one of the other members of her team moved to secure their new hostage. He was kept close with the rest of the team, as they quickly made their way up a spiral staircase, shooting two more soldiers that approached. Soon, they found themselves outside the mayor's office. The door was locked. Cassidy kept a watch with the others while another young woman in her group cut the lock.

When the door was ready, they busted through, shooting the three other guards inside. The mayor looked equally as shocked as the delegate did and he slowly put his hands up.

"There's no need to do anything rash here...I will surrender peacefully."

Cassidy nodded. "Good. Now you and I are going to be going outside to make a little speech."

They quickly bound the mayor's hands with a zip-tie, and pushed him downstairs. Two of Cassidy's soldiers flanked her as they walked to the front door. As she went through, she shot one of the monster soldiers in the back and he yelled out in pain, though the one shot alone wasn't enough to kill him. The monster soldiers turned around, looking bewildered and Cassidy put a pistol against the mayor's head.

"If ANY of you makes ONE move, he's dead!" The monsters looked to each other with uncertainty, not sure if they should shoot or not. Cassidy yelled again.

"Weapons on the ground! Now!"

The mayor shouted as well. "Do as she says! Do it!" At the order, the soldiers reluctantly discarded their guns on the ground, backing away. She kept her position.

"You are all going to abandon your posts, and back away across the street. We have twenty hostages inside, and if we see anybody try ANYTHING, they all die!" The monsters slowly backed across the street, though one of them paused by the monster that had been shot, helping him across.

Cassidy nodded. Though she had inflated the number of hostages, it had clearly worked. The city hall was in the hands of the humans. She smirked triumphantly as she handed the mayor off to one of the other militia members.

"We'll wait for word from Lieutenant Chara before we make our next move. For now, fortify the premises and prepare for any possible counterattack." With this, she strode to the office, going over to the windows, starting to push furniture in front of the window frame.

_**HOME**_

Cole shouted furiously as a small chunk of marble from one of the pillars by the palace door flew off, glancing off his shoulder as a bullet struck the wall. Chara and Sebastian's combined forces had managed to push up past the gardens and courtyard, up to the palace entrance. Here, the monsters had managed to bottleneck them. Chara pressed her back up to the wall beside him.

"HEY! Stay focused! We've got a mission to complete, and I didn't come this far to turn around when we're on their welcome mat!" Cole grunted and nodded. She nodded at another soldier across on the other side of the doorway. The soldier produced another flash bomb, throwing it inside. Chara followed it up with a grenade, and they ducked back behind as debris flew out of the door.

With the monsters disoriented, the human attackers swarmed through the entrance, and soon the monsters had been turned to dust. Seeing a short break, Chara huffed.

"Alright, that was the hard part. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta Company will be with Captain Russell. Echo, you're with me. Foxtrot, unload the bigger guns and start to fortify this entrance; there might be more forces coming in now that the alarm has been raised. Captain, take your troops and see if you can find the war room. If the monsters had a plan for the war, it'll be in there. I'll take the others and try to find our own target."

Sebastian nodded, signalling to his own soldiers. "You heard her, let's move it!" They ran off a different area. The others, including Cole took a brief second to re-stock before proceeding further into the palace.

_**AGOLENS**_

Muffled shots could be heard from the second and third floors as Lawrence worked his way down to the basement. He knew the armory would be there, and if they planned on holding the police station, they would need all the firepower they could get. As he poked his head around a corner, he quickly pulled back as a bullet whizzed past his ear. He quickly returned fire, and the soldier was reduced to dust. Slowly, him and his team snaked through the basement.

Suddenly from behind a hidden monster soldier shot at Lawrence, but the bullets missed, striking one of the soldiers with him. She gave a sharp cry of pain before dropping down. In a flash Lawrence turned around, killing the soldier. He quickly knelt down to feel for a pulse, but got nothing. She must have been dead before she hit the ground. He stood up. There would be time to grieve for the fallen later.

Soon, they came to the large armoured door. One of the soldiers produced a breaching charge from a backpack he carried. He handed it off to another, and she got to work wiring the charge to the door. They leaned back as the charge blew the door wide open, and they quickly stormed the armoury. When they saw the stunned soldiers inside, Lawrence yelled.

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS, NOW!" The soldiers, fearing for their lives, obeyed instantly. Two of Lawrence's men got to work in restraining the soldiers, while Lawrence chuckled at what greeted him. There were plenty of guns and ammunition to supply his force for some time. They moved the soldiers upstairs, where they regrouped with the other men and women in Lawrence's party, who reported that everybody else in the station had been either captured or killed.

Quickly he took a zip tie and chain lock, barricading the doors shut with them. He looked to the prisoners.

"Lock them in one of the cells down below. We'll figure out what to do with them later."

_**LANDOW OVERPASS**_

Edward and his force continued to tighten the noose on the military checkpoint. The fighting had raged on the overpass for nearly half an hour, and with time not on their side, he was desperate to break through.

Finally, he had some luck when one of his soldiers found a way to flank the monster defences. The final assault took less than five minutes, and at long last the humans finally managed to overrun the checkpoint, swiftly killing the remaining soldiers. Edward breathed a sigh of relief, but he knew there was no time to waste.

"I want machine gun nests set up all along the road, and the anti-aircraft guns on the roofs! NOBODY comes in or out along this checkpoint. NOBODY!" The soldiers immediately got to work, and Edward awaited word from the others.

_**HOME**_

Asriel walked quickly with Asgore through the hallway, gunfire ringing out in the distance. Undyne was with them, listening in on a radio. She then reported to Asgore.

"The humans managed to punch through our outer defences, and they're in two groups as far as we know. Your highness, for your safety I'm going to be evacuating yourself, Prince Asriel and Lady Torie."

Asgore shook his head. "No, myself and Toriel will be remaining here. Only Asriel will go."

Undyne looked up in shock. "What? Why?!"

Asgore spoke back sharply. "These terrorists will NOT win! When they are quelled, we will need to be here to regain control. But, I still want you to get Asriel out for his own safety."

Asriel looked equally stunned, and Asgore spoke calmly. "Be safe my son. We will see you when the attack has been halted." Asriel nodded, and Asgore turned down a hallway to get Toriel. Asriel watched him leave, then turned back to Undyne, and nodded.

"Alright, let's go."


	12. Hot Pursuit

Undyne led Asriel down a separate passage and into a small parking bay, the gunshots still audible in the distance. She waved down an armoured car which skidded to a stop in front of them. A soldier opened the door, calling to Asriel.

"Get in your highness, hurry!" Undyne pushed through a door which led to another point of fighting within the castle though. As Asriel was climbing in, he suddenly saw a very familiar human run down the hallway. As the car peeled away, Chara shouted into the radio, with Cole coming up right behind her with two other soldiers.

"The target's on the run, get after him! He can't be allowed to get far!" She quickly found a second car in the parking bay, and Cole followed her into it with the two soldiers getting in the back seat. Chara managed to hotwire the car in only seconds, and she took off after Asriel. A second car full of soldiers from the Republic joined them on the main road. It didn't take long for them to spot Asriel's car and give chase.

Inside, Asriel glanced through the back window, and nudged the soldier in the backseat with him.

"They're behind us!" The soldier glanced over his shoulder, and pushed Asriel down.

"Stay below the windows your highness!" He rolled his own window down and leaned out, shooting back at the two cars following them. Cole watched as the bullets struck the car beside them, and suddenly the driver went limp. The car spun out of control, and slid into a ditch. As the car slid off, it bounced up, and a piece of metal shot from the car, and Chara ducked slightly as it pounded the door of the car. A soldier in the backseat of Chara's car returned fire, leaning out of the window.

Chara shouted into the radio. "Oscar, talk to me, do we have any other aircraft in the air?!"

Oscar responded a couple second later. "The palace's defenses shot most of them down, I've got one badly damaged one, I was about to fly it back. Why?"

Chara glared with determination at the fleeing car. "Use it to try and slow that car down. He can't be allowed to escape or all this will have been for nothing!"

The car turned onto a highway leading away from the palace. With the fleeing car being faster though, they would be able to escape. Cole glanced up as he heard the scream of a plane bearing down on them, and suddenly the plane appeared mere feet above them. Chara had to struggle with the wheel to avoid crashing from the turbulent air the plane kicked up. Asriel's jaw dropped in shock as he saw the plane fly overhead, and promptly smash into the road ahead of them, erupting in a ball of flames. The driver hit the brakes, and Asriel lurched forward in his seat as the driver swerved onto an off-ramp to avoid the burning wreckage.

The human soldier leaned back out of the window, choosing a new target on Asriel's car. He looked down the sights of the assault rifle, and shot at the tires. Asriel ducked down again as he heard the bullets strike the van, but the self-repairing bulletproof tires held, and the car kept driving with no drop in performance.

Suddenly from Chara's vehicle, they both heard the soldier's gun start clicking, and the gunman cursed as he started to move back in. Just before he could get his head in though, the monster soldier still shooting at them managed to find his mark, and the gunman slumped over, blood trickling from the corpse.

"What now?" Cole asked to Chara. As the off-ramp led them onto a bridge going over the busy city streets below, Chara accelerated.

"We'll do it the old-fashioned way."

Asriel watched as the pursuing car pulled up beside them on the left, then suddenly turned sharply to the right. There was another jerk as the two cars struck each other. The driver cranked the wheel hard, trying to recover, but it was far too late.

The car slammed into a concrete divider, and lifted up into the air. Time seemed to slow as Asriel felt weightless in the airborne car. Thinking fast, he tucked his arms in as he braced. The car slammed back down to earth with the roof first, and started to tumble. The screeching crunch of metal hurt Asriel's ears as the car rolled over, and over. Finally it came to a stop upside down. Asriel glanced around, seeing the driver unconscious, along with dust and broken window glass scattered about the car. The other soldier was missing. He quickly crawled out of one of the of the mangled doors, running to the edge of the bridge. He could see Chara get out of the car behind him, and point a gun at him.

"Freeze!" He looked over at the street below. It wasn't too far of a drop. Taking a deep breath, he leapt over the railing, and shouted in pain as he hit the ground, stumbling and falling. Groaning, he managed to push himself back to his feet. Chara and Cole both ran to the railing, looking over and down. Asriel glanced up, then turned and fled down an alley.

He turned down several of the tight alleyways, trying to spot an easy way out. There wasn't any. He did manage to spy a fire escape ladder from the ground, a floor above him on the side of an apartment complex. He clambered onto a dumpster beside the building, and jumped to the ladder, scrambling to the metal grate stairs at the second floor.

He refused to look behind himself as he clambered up the stairs. He found himself running faster as he heard the metal clank again a few floors below him, a symbol that he was still being pursued. He finally made it to the roof of the building, running across to the opposite ledge. Here he jumped on top of the small ledge, and looked down. It was a long drop, and there was nowhere to go. He spotted the second building in the complex immediately across from him. The jump wasn't that big. Before he had time to think further though, Chara shouted from behind him.

"There's nowhere to go Asriel! Just give up!" He turned around, slowly putting his hands in the air as he stared her down. He slowly stepped down from the ledge, then searched her gaze. Despite having a gun trained at him, he knew she wouldn't take the shot. He was too valuable to her. He took a few steps towards her and Cole, then immediately turned around and ran back to the ledge, not stopping to think as he pushed himself off with his feet.

He sailed through the air, but ended up falling short. He grunted as he tried to grab onto the other roof, and he barely stopped himself from falling. He looked down, and saw that there was a balcony a few feet below him; seeing that he could get down he let go and landed. He looked up across at Chara, who had ran to the ledge and was staring at him, surprise in her eyes.

Figuring she would never be crazy enough to try to make the leap, he took advantage of the precious seconds. He vaulted over the side of the balcony, and snagged the railing of the one right below. As he hung off the side, he pushed off to another one off to the right, slowly traversing his way down the building.

He glanced down at the ground when he found himself perched on the lowest balcony. He let go and dropped the final story, making sure his knees were bent as he hit the ground, having to take a few steps forward from the momentum. Not stopping to think he tried to run back to the sidewalk where he could find a better way to escape.

Suddenly though, another human ran around the corner, and raised his gun. Before Asriel could do anything, the soldier fired a shot. The bullet struck Asriel and he stumbled back, collapsing on his back.

A few seconds later, Chara's radio crackled. "Sorry General, I may have just shot your target; I didn't look to see who it was. He hasn't dusted yet though, so I don't think he's dead; the prince is knocked out cold though."

Cole looked at Chara and shrugged, while Chara responded to the radio. "It's fine, it shows you've got good reflexes at least. We're on the roof of a building right now; look about 30 degrees right. Cole here is waving. We'll be down in a moment to check on him."

The soldier looked up to the roof, waving back at Cole before the two disappeared over the side. Chara led the way as they moved back down the fire escape, down to the street below.

Once at ground level, Chara quickly knelt by Asriel, and Cole looked over her shoulder. Asriel as it turned out had gotten extremely lucky. The bullet had struck a heart-shaped locket beneath his shirt which had stopped the brunt of the bullet. Though there was some blood from bullet fragments, it wasn't a fatal injury. The locket had been nearly completely destroyed. Chara sighed with relief.

"He'll live. Restrain him and get him in the car. We need to get him out of here before reinforcements arrive. We'll patch him up in Kester." She got on a long range radio, and called out.

"This is Lieutenant Chara, calling for a report from all other Torin Republic forces, check in at once please."

She heard Cassidy speak first. "Commander King calling in, we have taken the city hall with the mayor and a delegate as prisoner, and the Landow Overpass checkpoint is firmly in human control. The monsters almost tried a counter attack, but when we informed them about the hostages they retreated. We're continuing to fortify the area, in case they try an extraction mission. From what I last heard, my people on the overpass are setting up heavy defenses in case monsters try to retake it. No movement otherwise."

Lawrence called next. "Commander Callahan, the police station is in our control, and we've secured more than enough arms to hold our own if they retaliate. So far all we've seen is monsters setting up a command post about four blocks west, but it looks to be a standoff because they can't get closer without being shredded. Apart from that, we haven't seen any action being taken by the monsters. We've got hostages here as well, and have barricaded the other entry points so the only way in or out will be through the front."

Finally, came Sebastian's call. "Captain Russell, we've pulled back from the palace. Our spotters said he saw heavy reinforcements en route to the palace, and we had retreat or we would have been swarmed. Didn't manage to find the war room in time unfortunately. Did you at least get the prince?"

Chara responded. "Yes, we got him. I'm going to transport him back to Kester. Good job everyone. King and Callahan, stay at your captured buildings, and whatever you do don't let monsters reclaim them. Captain Russell, your outpost has no doubt been compromised with this attack. Remember the plan though. Split your troops up and start transporting them to Agolens and Landow to help with reinforcement. I'll be sending about twenty of the troops with me along with you; the rest will be escorting the prince."

With this, Chara turned the radio off. As the soldiers helped get Asriel's unconscious body up, Cole spotted something on the ground. Stooping down, he picked up a small picture that must have fallen out of the locket. His blood ran cold when he saw what was on it.

The picture showed Asriel and Chara, both looking significantly younger, and smiling joyfully together. Cole glanced up at Chara who hadn't noticed, then pocketed the picture. The new development troubled him as he slowly walked back to the waiting car, climbing in. As it set off, he pondered over what to do with the discovery. He eventually decided not to tell Chara about it, figuring she wouldn't be very happy about it. But, perhaps Asriel would be more forthcoming.


	13. Hostage Crisis

Asgore walked with Toriel at his side as they entered the two entered the war room. Just two hours earlier they had been ushered into a safe room. There they had been forced to anxiously wait for the reinforcements to arrive. They heard reports of the invading forces retreating shortly after they were called, and the force was gone by the time the reinforcements had arrived. Despite this, the reinforcements decided it would be wise to stay for the remainder of the day just in case there was a follow up attack.

Now though, the immediate danger had passed, and Asgore wanted answers. He stormed into the war room. Where Undyne waited. He growled.

"I want to know everything. What happened?"

Undyne looked grim. "We were lied to. That's what happened. Your informant fed us false information!"

Asgore gritted his teeth. "I should have known. Well, how bad's the damage?"

Undyne shook her head. "It's bad. There were synchronized attacks all over the annexed territories. Landow was hit the hardest as far as we can tell. There have been reports coming in from everywhere though. There was a mass assault on the police station in Agolens. The insurgents have at least fifteen hostages there from what we can see. We've already set up a command center for the Agolens crisis five blocks west of the station. In Landow, the insurgents managed to storm the city hall. They claim they have twenty hostages, but we have no way of confirming this. One of our aircraft tried to fly over the city hall for reconnaissance, but took fire from the Landow Overpass. Based on this, we believe humans have overrun the military checkpoint stationed there, and have fortified themselves."

Asgore took a deep breath. "What was the objective of the attack here?"

Undyne shrugged. "Unknown. From what we can tell though, it wasn't an attempted overthrow. They were looking for something. For what, we still don't know."

Asgore nodded, and Toriel spoke up. "What of Asriel, captain? Is he safe?" Undyne was hesitant in responding. Asgore growled again. "Captain?"

Undyne sighed. "In the thick of the fighting, the comms between myself and the escape vehicle went down. I haven't heard from any of the prince's protection detail, or the prince himself. I tried to contact the soldiers at the drop-off point, and they said that the car never arrived."

Toriel exchanged a worried glance with Asgore. Before Asgore could order for a search party to be sent out, he felt a buzz of his phone ringing in his pocket. As he took it out, he saw that it was an unidentifiable number. He answered it and put it on speaker.

"This is King Asgore Dreemurr. To whom am I speaking with?"

A cold voice spoke back. "You know exactly who I am Asgore. You'll want to hear what I have to say, so don't think about speaking."

The three looked to each other as there was a short pause. "As you are likely aware, we are in control of several buildings in the annexed nations you conquered years ago. We now control the Landow Overpass, as well as the Landow City Hall, and the Agolens Police Station. We have also captured Prince Asriel Dreemurr."

Toriel silenced her stunned gasp as she put her hands to her mouth in horror. Asgore stood rigid and even Undyne stiffened.

"If you wish to see your son alive, you are to come alone to the abandoned observatory in Kester in exactly 36 hours, where we can begin making negotiations. On the top level by the telescope, you will find a burner phone. You are to wait for a call at that phone. If you at any time try to retake the buildings we have under our control, every hostage inside, as well as your son, will die. If you try to find, or recover your son in any way, the hostages, and your son, will die. If you do not arrive at the location in exactly 36 hours, the result will be the same. Trust me, we have our means of knowing if you are there or not. This is your first, and only warning." The line immediately cut off and Asgore nearly dropped the phone. There was stunned silence.

Slowly the anger built in his eyes and he spoke in an eerily calm voice to Undyne. "I want every unit we have on the ground out there, searching for Asriel."

Undyne was hesitant. "But your highness, what about the message? You heard what she would do if we tried-"

"THAT'S AN ORDER!" Asgore roared, making Undyne flinch. Toriel put a hand on Asgore's shoulder. She looked distraught.

"Gorey please, think rationally! You know as well as I do that Chara is very serious about what she says. If she says she will kill him if we look for him, she will kill him! Please, just stop and think about what you are doing! If you try and search for our son, you are signing his death sentence!"

Asgore was about to respond furiously, but he calmed down when he saw the fear in Toriel's eyes.

"I'm sorry Tori, but he's our son! I can't just sit back and do nothing!"

Toriel shook her head. "You might not have a choice in this situation. Chara has the upper hand here. Think of all the other hostages too. I'm sure many of them have families of their own. Captain..." Toriel looked left as she addressed Undyne. "Is there anyway we could send out scouts to go undercover as civilians? Maybe they could infiltrate the Republic headquarters and find out further information?"

Undyne shook her head. "I'm sorry ma'am, but that's a very tall order. The insurgents are clearly much more organized than we ever thought, and while we have strength in numbers, they likely would know the lay of the land much better. Not to mention with all the skill that the insurgents have with their deception tactics, and ways of finding out our military routes, it's likely they have means of getting information someway. It would be nearly impossible to remain undercover for long, much less be able to extract the prince within the deadline. I'm afraid the only choice we have is to follow Chara's demands."

Asgore slowly hunched his shoulders, letting out a defeated sigh. "Alright...alright. I'll do it. But only because something might happen to Asriel. Believe me, if I see any way to get him out, I'm going to take it."

Toriel sighed. "Very well. Let us calm down, and we can plan our next move."

_**MEANWHILE...**_

Chara threw the burner phone out the window of the jeep, watching as it bounced into the ditch. She looked back to Asriel, who was still unconscious and being kept under close watch by the other soldiers in the truck. Cole looked out of the back of the jeep. He looked troubled about something.

"Hey, you alright?" Chara asked. Cole looked back, as if being snapped out of a deep thought and nodded.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah I'm alright. Why?"

Chara searched his gaze. "You seem distracted. Something on your mind?"

Cole shook his head quickly. "No, it's just been a long day."

Chara shrugged. "Fair enough - we did just launch an all-out attack, and you don't have as much experience in battle. You did good though back there."

Cole gave a tired chuckle. "Thanks, it was mostly instinct throughout the thick of it. I can't believe we actually pulled it off, I mean we got him!"

Chara looked back to Asriel, nodding. "Yeah...we did."

Cole could see...something in her eyes. He couldn't quite put a bead on it. "What about you?"

Chara looked back. "Hmm? What do you mean?"

Cole elaborated. "What are you thinking right now? You look pretty thoughtful yourself."

Chara smiled, looking down. "Don't worry about it." She quickly changed the subject, speaking to a soldier keeping an eye on him who had some medical experience.

"How's he looking?"

The soldier glanced up. "Well the locket managed to stop a good bit of the bullet, but he's got a couple fragments still embedded. We'll need to do a mild operation for it when we get back to Kester, but it should be a piece of cake. He'll be fine in a week." Chara nodded, then turned to look back out the window.

**_36 HOURS LATER…_**

Asgore looked anxiously around the observatory, standing just beneath the large telescope in the roof. He paused as he spotted a burner phone on the ground. He glanced around as the phone began to ring. He picked the phone up and pressed it to his ear. Chara's voice spoke from the other end.

"King Asgore."

Asgore grunted. "Chara."

Chara huffed. "Shall we begin?"

Asgore spotted a security camera, and met eyes with it. "I want proof that he's alive first."

Chara responded.. "Understandable." There was a moment of silence, before he sighed in relief as he heard Asriel's voice. "Dad? It's me!"

Asgore urgently asked. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Asriel responded. "I'm fine, more or less I guess." A second later, Chara's voice returned.

"Alright, you have your proof. Can we begin?"

Asgore nodded. "Yes, yes we can."

Chara huffed. "I suppose I'll list our two biggest demands. We want an immediate military withdrawal from all annexed nations of the monster kingdom. We also want all prisoners being held under Mount Ebott to be released."

Asgore growled. "No. Absolutely not. What you're asking would mean admitting defeat. I won't back down so easily to the likes of a terrorist monster like you."

Chara chuckled sarcastically. "I beg to differ. In case you've forgotten, I hold the cards. Your son is right here, and if I deem necessary, I can turn him to dust in a second. Let's not forget we have control of several buildings elsewhere as well. Also, you're calling me a monster? You and I both know that the conditions those prisoners live in is pure cruelty. You're not punishing them to teach them a lesson, you're just torturing them to strike fear into the populace! It's impossible for someone without any survival skills to last more than a week in there. You're sentencing people to death, Asgore. A very slow and often painful one. Face it, you rule with fear."

Asgore shot back. "Innocent people have died in your reckless attacks."

Chara now sounded amused. "Ah, not true. Innocent people have died, but not by our hands. Oftentimes, I've noticed it is your own soldiers that are shooting at the wrong targets. Let's also not forget you've go so far as to kill your own men to make a breakout look real. And you call me a monster?"

Asgore gritted his teeth, trying to suppress any anger in his voice.. "You have no proof of any of this."

"Ah, but I do. When Cole found his way back to the Torin Republic, he told me everything that he saw in there. Besides, the oppressed of this nation do not need much to convince them. Face it, Asgore. The people are not pleased with your rule, and now they have a flag to rally under. You are going to lose control soon - it is your choice whether it happens peacefully."

Asgore said nothing for a moment. If they were meeting face to face, Asgore's expression would have revealed nothing. He eventually chose to talk around the issue. "I...can make arrangements to have 15 prisoners released from Mount Ebott. In exchange, I want two hostages to be released from the Agolens police station."

Chara sounded suspicious as she responded. "How do I know you'll come through on your end?"

Asgore grunted coldly. "You and I are both people of our word. I'm trusting you are not bringing harm to my son, and you'll release the hostages. You'll need to trust that I'll release the prisoners. Perhaps an exchange on the border between the Roneian and Grudor states?"

Chara was silent for several minutes, before answering. "Alright, deal. The two hostages will be waiting at the border crossing tomorrow at noon. Now, let's talk about the occupation."

"I will not withdraw my troops. I'm sorry but that is too high of a demand, it would take too much time!"

Chara began to sound irritated. "Well, today is the day you start to think again. It's clear you won't budge on this now, so sleep well tonight. Call me at 9:00 AM tomorrow morning, same number. We'll make further discussion then." Then, she hung up. Asgore sighed, looking around the old observatory, before pocketing the phone and walking towards the exit.


	14. An Unnecesarry Sacrifice

Julia sighed as she tapped the pencil against the desk. It was just past two in the morning, yet she still found herself awake albeit tired, staring at a textbook with several pages full of notes beside it. She had a midterm the next day, but was still trying to decipher the meaning of the myriad of symbols the professor had drawn and she had copied. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, before having another sip of coffee.

The stress of everything that had been happening politically was beginning to have its toll on her, as if her studies weren't enough. She had heard of the attacks all across the kingdom, and could even see several platoons travelling along the highway that ran close to the college. She longed to try and contact Cole again to make sure he was alright, but nonetheless she continued to follow his instructions. She reached for the lamp, turning it off. As she stood from the desk, she suddenly spotted movement outside the window.

Frowning, she turned the lamp back on and looked out, trying to spot the source. But the night was still. With an uneasy feeling, she began to turn away, only to have a sack pulled down over her head. Before she could scream, something hard cracked against the back of her skull, then nothing.

_**HOURS LATER...**_

Cole glanced up and down the street before emerging from the alleyway behind his apartment building, mingling in with the crowd as he made his way towards the Torin Republic outpost in Kester.

It had been a week since the last attempt at peace talks. Barely any progress had been made since the initial meeting, and neither Chara, nor Asgore were willing to back down. Tensions were mounting quickly, and Cole knew it was only a matter of time before everything would break into chaos.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked at a slightly brisk pace. As he passed a payphone on the sidewalk, he froze as he heard the phone start ringing the second he was in front of it.

He glanced around, and seeing nobody else making a move to answer, reasoned it must be for him. He opened the door to the booth, staring at the phone before slowly picking it up, putting it to his ear.

"...Hello?"

Asgore's voice spoke from the other end. "Hello Mr. Nelson. We need to have a talk."

Cole's eyes widened, and he glanced out of the booth. "How did you know where I was? Just-, What do you want?"

Asgore's next words made Cole's blood run cold. "We've taken Ms. Nelson into custody." Cole lowered his voice, but allowed the anger to seep into it as his grip tightened on the phone.

"You can't do that, we had a deal!"

Asgore's voice was calculated. "We agreed that your sister will remain out of things, providing you upheld your end of our deal to provide us with information. You've done nothing but lie to us since day one. As such, you've made your deal void."

Cole could feel his heart rate increasing as he tried to think of a response, and found nothing. Asgore was correct.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Asgore responded immediately. "I've decided to give you one more chance to redeem yourself. I want you to smuggle Asriel out of the hands of the Republic."

Cole was shocked at the request. "Are you insane?! Do you realize how much security Chara's got protecting him?! It'd be nearly impossible!"

Asgore's tone didn't shift. "Find a way. You've proven to be quite resourceful."

Cole shot back. "What if I don't? Or can't?"

Asgore upped the threat. "Then Julia will take your place under Mount Ebott, which is where you should be."

Cole's eyes widened. "You wouldn't. She hasn't done anything wrong, you can't do that!"

Asgore sounded a bit more angry. "I will do whatever it takes to get my son back, and end this war. You better find a way, your sister is depending on it." Before Cole could respond, Asgore hung up, leaving Cole sputtering and staring at the phone. He slowly hung up, and images of his sister flashed through his mind. She would be scared and confused, with an uncertain fate set in front of her. He pounded a fist against the side of the phone booth.

"DAMMIT!" He cursed at himself. He should have known that Asgore would find out eventually. He should have warned Julia of Red Dawn, he should have told her to get as far away as possible. Then she wouldn't be here. He then made his decision. He had brought Julia back into this mess, he would get her out.

Leaving the phone booth, he walked quickly to the secret door, giving it the special knock. The second it was opened, he walked down the stairs and searched the hallways for Chara. Soon, he spotted her, and quickly walked over to her. She glanced up as he approached.

"You looked troubled. Something nothing on your mind?"

Cole took a breath, then decided to tell her. "The monsters took Julia."

Chara frowned. "Again?"

Cole nodded. "Yes. I got a call from Asgore, he wants me to help break out Asriel. If I do, Julia goes free."

Chara met his gaze. "What happens if you don't?"

Cole tried not to visualize it. "She gets sent to Mount Ebott. Can I have permission to return Asriel to the royal family?"

With this, Chara looked down at her feet. She rubbed her temples before answering carefully. "Asriel... is our biggest bargaining chip, by far. He's one of the few things the monster royalty truly cares about. I think there's a lot more that we can get out of Asgore from releasing Asriel than one person. Not only that, I'd be concerned that if we trade him for your sister, we'll have very little to hold against them and might end up with a full military attack at our doorstep, which might just end up with you and your sister both under Ebott - now without escape. Releasing Asriel is just too much of a cost for not enough reward, and that's why I'm very hesitant about doing it prematurely." She tried her best to speak in a defeated tone, but Cole didn't register it.

He was stunned. "But, Julia's innocent! She's done nothing wrong, why should she be forced to suffer?"

Chara stood firm. "I understand that, and you are absolutely correct, but there's nothing I can do about this - our hands are tied! Look, you might just need to sit tight for a few more weeks. If this negotiation stalemate continues, we're planning another show of force. Red Dawn brought us a large number of recruits, including one who's willing to go on a kamikaze attack. This might be enough to topple the kingdom, and when we win this, everybody under Mount Ebott will be free."

Cole felt one of his hands beginning to shake. "What if we don't win? How long will it take to set up another strike?! Weeks?! Months?! It might already be too late! Please, she's all I have left!"

Chara bit her inner lip, and forced herself not to back down. She continued in an apologetic tone. "We've all lost a lot in this war Cole. I don't like it any more than you do, but we need to think about the larger picture here. We all have to make sacrifices at some point in our lives. You might just need to let her go for now. And if there's one thing I'll promise you, it's that we will win."

Cole couldn't believe his ears. Chara could tell Cole was trying to think of a response, so she shut him down before he could speak.

"That's the end of it, Cole. I'm sorry." She then turned and began to walk away. Cole muttered under his breath.

"And so it is." He turned away, anger surging through him. Chara clearly wasn't going to be helping him. He would need to do this himself. He began to formulate his plan as he walked to the room where Asriel was being held. He nodded to one of the guards standing outside.

"I'm bringing the prince in to private interrogation." The soldier nodded and unlocked the door. Inside, Asriel looked up as the soldier entered and walked over to him. He was grabbed roughly by his arm and pulled up to his feet, and out of the room. He spotted Cole waiting outside as he was moved down a hallway. They took a turn to the right, and then he was moved into another room. Cole bumped up against the soldier as he stepped back. As they did, Cole managed to snag the key from the soldier's pocket, and he hid it in his hand as he nodded at the soldier.

"Sorry." The soldier only grunted, and the door closed shut behind him. Asriel sat down behind the metal table, and Cole met his eyes as he sat across from him.

The two were silent for some time, but Asriel could tell something was deeply bothering Cole. Finally, he decided to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Well? What's up? You look a bit stressed out."

Cole narrowed his eyes. "Julia's been captured."

Asriel nodded slowly. "Alright...and why should I find this of importance?"

Cole responded coldly. "Asgore wants me to help break you out. If I do, he'll release Julia unharmed."

Asriel took a breath. "I see. I take it you have made a decision?"

Cole nodded. "I'm going to help you. As much as I want to kill you myself, I care more about saving my sister. But, if I do this, I want you to answer a question of mine."

Asriel sat up a touch straighter. "Sounds only fair, shoot."

Cole fished around in his pocket as he spoke. "Explain to me this photo." He took out the picture of Asriel and Chara from the locket and unfolded it, sliding it across the table to Asriel.

Cole continued. "How do, or did, you two know each other?"

He noticed a longing look in Asriel's gaze as he stared down at the picture. Emotions seemed to flood the prince as he stared at the picture.

"It's...complicated."

Cole scoffed. "Answer the question."

Asriel sighed. "It happened a really long time ago. I believe it was only two years after the war ended. My father had to put down an out of control riot in one of the annexed territories. While he was there, he found Chara. She was really young, only a small child. So, he brought her back to the palace for her own safety. She grew up there, and well, we became close. Siblings even."

Cole found this fascinating. He had never guessed Chara had such a deep history with not just the monsters, but with the royal family.

"From all this though, you'd think you were bitter enemies. What happened?"

Asriel's eyes darkened as he looked to the table, deep in thought. "There was a...a disagreement. Between my father and her. I still don't know exactly what it was about, but I do know that whatever it did, it changed her."

Cole frowned. "Changed her, how?"

Asriel sighed. "She was just, different. She didn't associate much with me anymore, she never spoke to my mother, and tried at all costs to not even be in the same room as my father. She distanced herself. One day, she was discovered attempting a murder on my father. When her plot was discovered, she fled. She went into hiding for two years, and then suddenly revealed herself, now the leader of the Torin Republic." He held his gaze on Cole, hoping he wouldn't be able to see through him. It wasn't often he found himself exaggerating a story on the spot, but he knew he had to make it count. Cole gave Asriel a doubtful look, clearly not convinced. Asriel stared earnestly.

"You don't believe me, do you? Ask her yourself! Ask her what her relationship in my family has been! You're fighting for a psycho Cole, not a hero! She's killed dozens of people, even INNOCENT people! People that were living their lives! I wouldn't doubt that deep down she doesn't even care about her own troops! Besides, if your sister was captured, why haven't you gone to Chara to help you get her back?" Cole looked down at the table, refusing to answer. "It's because she didn't want to." Asriel spoke, answering his own question. After putting more thought into it, Cole, slowly stood up. "Alright...just...stay here for now. I have a plan, we might need to improvise though. And, before you ask, it doesn't involve a fire escape."

Asriel chuckled. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Cole rolled his eyes and stood up, walking out of the room. He nodded at the guard. "Chara wants him kept here for a bit longer, I think she wanted a word with him."

* * *

Asriel was thinking about what had happened over the past few days. He had been captured by the resistance after an all-out attack. From what he could tell based on the snippets of phone conversation his captors allowed him to hear, he was being used as a bargaining chip.

He heard the rattling of keys to his jail cell, and looked up. He saw Cole, the troublemaker. His escorting guard left shortly thereafter, and Cole sat down at the table across from him.

Cole told him what he was here for, and as he did, gears began to turn in Asriel's head. Cole seemed to be willing to get him free in exchange for his sister, but Asriel suspected Chara might be able to change his mind. He had to find a way to slip in a reason to not trust Chara, and he couldn't believe his luck when Cole slipped him his locket and asked him to explain.

Of course, Chara had been a model child after her adoption, but Asriel couldn't let Cole know that. She had had a bit of disagreement with Asgore, but that was over the poor treatment of his citizens. Asriel would leave out that second bit, as he quickly devised a tale that would make Chara seem like the scum of the earth. He had to be careful though, since Cole might ask her later about the story, and Asriel would have to rely on Chara's unwillingness to speak. As Cole left the room, Asriel sat back in his chair, taking a deep breath, and praying with all his might that the seed of doubt wouldn't be uprooted.

* * *

As Cole walked down the hall, he spotted Chara again, and approached. She looked up as he did.

"Did you find out what you wanted to know?"

Cole shook his head. "Not entirely, I'm making progress though. I'm just going to have him there while I think of my next move."

Chara nodded. "I see."

Cole paused for a moment, before deciding to ask. "Did you ever know Asriel?"

He noticed Chara twitching. "...I suppose I did. A long time ago."

Cole pried further. "I've seen the way you act when you're around him. Were you...close?"

Chara sighed. "You're very perceptive. Yes, I knew him. Part of the family even."

Cole nodded slowly. "What happened? The way you feel about monsters now, it's hard to believe that you of all people actually had a place in the royal family."

Chara's eyes grew distant. "There was...a disagreement. Let's just say things got a touch messy. If it's all the same to you, I would rather not discuss this further."

With his nagging suspicions now confirmed, Cole nodded. "Of course, thanks." Chara watched as Cole left, shaking her head in puzzlement.

As soon as eyes had left him, Cole ducked left, quickly making his way to a small armory. As he ducked inside, he picked out a small pistol and nabbed a silencer as well. As he twisted the silencer onto the barrel of the pistol, he tucked it into the back of his pants, tugging his shirt down over it to conceal it, taking a deep breath. He was filled with determination, as he thought of his sister. She needed him now more than ever, and he was prepared to do whatever it took to get her back.


	15. Black Thursday

Cole ducked back out of the armory, walking through the hall. He close one of his eyes, and covered it with his hand. As one man walked past, he paused.

"You alright?"

Cole nodded. "Yeah, just got some dust in my eye, don't worry about it." The soldier shrugged and proceeded on. Cole's heart beat against his ribcage rapidly, and he could have sworn that anybody that passed by would be able to hear it. He couldn't believe his luck when he discovered an unguarded circuit box. He first made sure nobody was close by, before opening the box.

He looked through the mass tangle of wires and switches, trying to piece together which did what. Finding one wire, he took hold of it and gave it a sharp tug. As it disconnected however, a warning alarm began to blare. Cole cursed silently, it was the last thing he wanted. He stepped back and took out the silenced pistol, shooting the box twice as he quickly put one hand over his left eye. He ducked down as sparks flew out of the box and it gave a small explosion. Immediately the alarm cut, and the lights went out. He nodded to himself, this was what he wanted.

With his vision already partially adjusted to the dark, he turned and walked quickly down the hallway. It wouldn't be long before they got the power up, he predicted he had just under fifteen minutes. He would need to act fast. His memory guided him back to the interrogation room, and in the dark he could just see the silhouette of the guard in front of the door. He took a deep breath and whispered.

"I'm sorry." He then raised his pistol, and the guard crumpled to the floor.

* * *

Asriel sat back in the chair, doing as Cole had said, though he wasn't really able to do much of anything else. He looked up as an alarm suddenly started going off, followed by complete darkness, and the alarm cut short. He sat up straight, looking around in the dark. Outside he heard angry and confused shouts. He looked to the door as he heard a tiny noise, followed by something hitting the floor. The door was opened, and through the dark he just saw Cole.

"We don't have much time, so we have to hurry. Now, I'm going to do this, but I want you to know that if you turn on me, you'll be dead in seconds." He felt Cole pull his hands to him, and heard Cole fumbling with something in the dark. Seconds later, he felt the handcuffs drop away. Asriel rubbed his wrists.

"Not bad. If you're freeing me though, I take it you'll need me to get out?"

Cole nodded. "There's no easy way out, so we'll have to fight our way out through the front door."

Asriel smirked and summoned two chaos sabers, one for each hand. Cole stepped back slightly, and kept the pistol up. The swords gave off a soft white glow. Asriel rolled his eyes.

"Oh relax, if I wanted to use these on you I would have done it the second you freed my hands."

Cole sighed, but still looked agitated. "Is there nothing else you can use? That glow could give away our position."

Asriel shrugged. "Sorry, it's that or I'm throwing fireballs all over the place. Considering how confined it is down here, I doubt that's a better solution."

Cole nodded. "Alright...just make sure you're fast."

Asriel smirked. "Lead the way."

Cole led him out of the room, and Asriel stepped over the dead body, blood trickling from a wound in the back of the soldiers head. As Cole progressed, two more soldiers came around the corner. Cole quickly dispatched them, continuing to press forward. When they came to a crossroads in the tunnels, Cole looked around the corner, spotting nothing on the left though. However, he failed to see the soldier coming from the right. Asriel reacted quickly, and swung one saber up, one of the soldiers hands falling to the floor, before stabbing him through the chest with the other. Cole whipped around, just in time to see what happened. He didn't have a pleased look on his face. Asriel rolled his eyes.

"You're welcome. Let's just keep moving alright?" Cole hesitated as he saw the body, but then shook his head, continuing onward. Cole made sure to take several of the more out of the way hallways, trying to avoid confrontation at all costs.

Finally they spotted the two guards at the front door. No doubt it would be locked. Asriel let the sabers dissolve, and instead summoned a fireball, launching it at the door. The explosion knocked the door off of its hinges, and engulfed the two guards in fire. Cole quickly shot the guards anyway, just in case they were still alive. Cole watched behind them as they walked up and outside, breaking into the alley. Once they were clear and in the day, Cole took the lead.

"Follow me." Asriel followed, but quickly managed to piece together his surroundings as they ducked through the back alleys, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the Republic as possible. They only stopped moving when they managed to reach the outskirts of the city nearly forty minutes later. Cole stopped, taking a deep breath.

"Alright, I think we'll be safe for now." Asriel stopped as well, and then questioned.

"What happens now?"

Cole responded. "Now we contact Asgore, let him know you're safe and sound. Then, we get my sister back."

Asriel nodded, then suddenly spoke again. "Oh, maybe I should contact Asgore. If it's from me, he's more likely to believe it."

Cole nodded. "Good idea. There's a payphone over here, we can use that."

The two walked over to the phone booth, and Cole fished two quarters out of his wallet, handing them to Asriel. After slipping inside, he deposited the quarters and heard the phone ringing. Asgore's voice picked up.

"This is King Asgore Dreemurr."

Asriel sighed in relief that he had picked up. "Dad? It's me, Asriel. Cole's just broken me out."

Asgore sounded overjoyed. "Oh my son, you don't know how relieved I am to hear your voice! Is Cole there by any chance? I wish to speak to him."

Asriel glanced out of the booth. "Yeah he's right here, one second." He opened the booth and called out.

"He wants to talk to you!" The two swapped places, and Cole picked up the phone.

"I've done my part of the deal. I want my sister back."

Asgore's voice had lost all relief, and was now replaced with a firm neutral tone. "And you will have her. Tonight at the old observatory, midnight. Don't be late."

Cole grunted. "I don't intend to."

_**MIDNIGHT…**_

As Asriel and Cole stood by the telescope in the observatory, waiting for Asgore to arrive, Asriel decided to ask.

"So...what are you going to do after this?"

Cole glanced over. "What do you mean?"

Asriel shrugged. "Well, you can't exactly go back to the Torin Republic, you no doubt have been branded as a traiter for helping me escape. I know my father doesn't really want anything to do with you, so what'll you do after this is done?"

Cole hadn't considered it, and sighed. "I'm...I'm not sure."

Asriel decided to offer advice. "If I was you, I would make sure I got as far away from here as possible. I have a feeling that all this is about to come crashing down, and knowing my father, I wouldn't want to be around to witness it if I was you. Besides, you've got a sister that really cares about you. Just some advice."

Cole nodded, looking somewhat distracted now. He was snapped out of his thoughts as they heard footsteps approaching, and soon Asgore and Julia could be seen walking towards them. Julia looked confused, and Cole couldn't help but feel even more angered when he saw Asgore, but equally relieved to see Julia still alive.

Asgore spoke nothing, but simply released Julia. She ran to Cole and threw her arms around him. Cole closed his eyes shut as they embraced. He whispered into her ear.

"Are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they?"

Julia choked on her response. "J-Just a headache...I'm just glad you're here...will you tell me what's going on?!"

Cole nodded. "Later, not here." He glanced over at Asriel as he walked back to Asgore. Seeing the two siblings reunited, Asriel couldn't help but feel a twinge of an old memory. Asgore spoke in a cold threatening voice.

"You've caused a lot of trouble for us Cole. I'm deciding to let you go tonight. But mark my words, if I ever see your face again, I'll make sure there's nothing left to bury." With the threat, Asgore turned and stalked away, Asriel following, though he cast one look over his shoulder. Julia stared into Cole's eyes.

"What...What happens now? Do we go back to the Republic?"

Cole sighed, shaking his head. "We can't. It's...It's not safe there either. I'll explain later, but for now, we'll need to leave. Is there anything you want from the college before we go?"

Julia shook her head. "Nothing is important enough to care about besides seeing you again."

Cole nodded, sympathetic. "I promise I'll explain everything when it's safe." Julia nodded, and as they left the observatory, they turned away from the city, running into the dark of the night.

_**TWO MONTHS LATER…**_

The axe swung down, and the small wood log split apart into two. Cole buried the axe in the tree stump, gazing around. Birdsong whistled through the thick trees of the forest. Nearly two months had passed since Cole and Julia had fled the city. They had ran for nearly two days before stumbling across an old, seemingly abandoned cabin.

The two had spent weeks on fixing it up, and now had made a home there. The only electronic device present was a radio that they often listened to, trying to find out what was happening in their old home. They managed to find a frequency that broadcasted from outside the monster kingdom, allowing them to listen in on what conditions were on either side.

Cole had come clean to Julia about everything. How he became involved with the Republic, his escape from prison, Red Dawn, his treachery, everything. Now, they were simply trying to live out their lives in peace. As he prepared to chop another block of wood for the fireplace, Julia suddenly ran outside, calling to him.

"Cole! You're going to want to hear this, come quickly!" Once more burying the axe in the stump, Cole ran up to the house, walking through the door. The floorboards creaked as he walked across to the radio. She sat on the couch beside him as he set the radio on the coffee table. He heard a newscaster speak.

"To recap our breaking story, the civil war in the monster kingdom has finally come to an end. It started when final desperate negotiation attempts between King Asgore Dreemurr and Chara, head of the resistance campaign, failed two days ago. Following the failed negotiations, gunshots rang out from the Agolens police station, and the insurgents claimed they had shot four hostages, as promised. Immediately after, King Asgore launched what is now being called Operation: Reclamation. The military stormed the building, and discovered that all the hostages had been killed. In Landow, insurgents finally surrendered in the city hall from lack of food and water. Special forces moved in to secure the building, while the military bombed the Landow Overpass, destroying the insurgent held checkpoint.

Through gathered information over the past few months, King Asgore launched an all out assault on what is believed to be the Torin Republic Headquarters in Kester, overpowering it in a battle that lasted only an hour and a half. Already people are beginning to call the day the Torin Republic fell, "Black Thursday." Across the kingdom, the four main leaders of the Torin Republic were all arrested. These include Lawrence Callahan. Sebastian Russell, Cassidy King, and Chara herself. With the threat over, King Asgore announced that all four of them are to be executed today at exactly 4:00 PM."

Cole looked down. "So that's it. It's over."

Julia could tell how upset Cole was as he continued speaking. "I shouldn't have freed Asriel, I should have just done what Chara said…"

Julia sighed. "Well, why did you free him?"

Cole looked up into her eyes. "I did it to get you back. Julia, you're what's kept me going. If I lost you too, I don't think I would have survived."

Julia shook her head. "Don't be hard on yourself. I'm here, right? Someone will come along and make these monsters pay for what they've done. Their rule won't last forever." Internally, she agreed with Cole on his thoughts of leaving Asriel imprisoned, but for now she just wanted to try and cheer him up as best as she could.

Cole sighed, a tear running down his cheek as he shook his head. "I just feel like I've made the wrong decision, and the biggest chance at a revolution is lost because of me. Julia took one of his hands, and grasped it tight. "We just have to have hope that something will happen to turn things around. At least we have each other."

Cole nodded, and they leaned their heads against each other, thunder rumbling in the distance.

* * *

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


End file.
